CL600 FLT CREW LINES UP ON WRONG RWY DURING APCH TO LAX.
Synopsis
CL600 FLT CREW LINES UP ON WRONG RWY DURING APCH TO LAX.
Narrative
WE FLEW THE SADD6 ARR TO LAX; AND DEPARTED SMO VOR ON A 070 DEG HDG. APCH ASKED US TO CALL TFC AHEAD 5-6 MI ON FINAL TO RWY 24R. WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R BEHIND TFC; AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR ON 133.90. WE CALLED TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 24R. AS WE TURNED BASE TO FINAL; THE TFC AHEAD WAS NO LONGER IN SIGHT; AS IT HAD APPARENTLY LANDED. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD A GOOD VISUAL ON THE RWY AND LINED UP ON THE CTRLINE. WE WERE BOTH UNAWARE THAT WE HAD LINED UP ON RWY 25R. THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC; VISIBILITY WAS NOT GOOD DUE TO THE HAZE; AND DAYLIGHT WAS FADING FAST; ALL COMBINED TO PROVIDE THE ILLUSION THAT WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 24R. THERE WERE NO OTHER RWYS IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT 4-5 MI FINAL; TWR INFORMED US THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 25R AND ASKED US TO TURN R IMMEDIATELY; WHICH WE DID. I THEN XCHKED MY INSTS AND CONFIRMED THAT THE RWY 24R LOC WAS SHOWING FULL-SCALE DEFLECTION TO THE R. WE IMMEDIATELY OBTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH RWY 24R AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD BEEN SO CONVINCED THAT WE WERE LINED UP WITH THE CORRECT RWY THAT WE DID NOT THINK TO CHK OUR INSTS OR USE THE FMS MOVING MAP TO CONFIRM OUR POS UNTIL TWR INFORMED US OF OUR ERROR. SINCE THE CAPT WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT; THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AUTOPLT TO INTERCEPT THE CORRECT COURSE TO RWY 24R. WE BASICALLY SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SEE; AND LET OURSELVES BE TRICKED BY ILLUSION AND POOR USE OF COCKPIT RESOURCES.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.