Narrative:

We were flying an advanced/automated cockpit aircraft with a 2-MAN crew. Crew was relatively inexperienced in type. Captain's first line trip after training and first officer had 260 hours in type. Aircraft developed numerous problems with the system after departure. Captain's speed bug and flight director did not work, automatic throttles would not engage. 2 of 3 autoplts would not engage, most navigation related symbology on captain's ADI CRT was missing. Some of this was regained when captain's instrument source selector was switched to the right (first officer's) position. We also had numerous FMC messages of 'FMC resyncing' followed by captain's FMC failure. Captain then selected alternate FMC. At this point, things settled down and we were flying the aircraft using the FMS. Through all of this we were busy, but managed to fly aircraft, navigate and accomplish all routine tasks. As we neared ord, I picked up ATIS which gave ILS 27R as expected approach. So we loaded the ILS 27R into the computer. As we switched over to ord approach control, I noticed that the controller seemed very busy. I had to wait at least 1 minutes and possibly longer before I could check in on the new frequency. When I did check in, the controller gave us 'descend to 6000, join the 22R localizer and track it inbound'. Realizing we were probably close to the localizer, I quickly looked up the new ILS frequency and course (we had 27R ILS set up as per the ATIS) and dialed it in. I then switched the map display to VOR mode thinking that would be the quickest way to find out where the localizer was. I then began to load the new approach into the FMC. As I was doing that, the captain realized the display was not right and I then switched the map display selector to the ILS mode. Just as I was doing that, approach control called and gave us a heading to reintercept the localizer and told us we had flown through it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW DISTR BY EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION FAILED TO INTERCEPT LOC AS CLEARED BY ATC.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING AN ADVANCED/AUTOMATED COCKPIT ACFT WITH A 2-MAN CREW. CREW WAS RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED IN TYPE. CAPT'S FIRST LINE TRIP AFTER TRAINING AND F/O HAD 260 HRS IN TYPE. ACFT DEVELOPED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM AFTER DEP. CAPT'S SPEED BUG AND FLT DIRECTOR DID NOT WORK, AUTO THROTTLES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. 2 OF 3 AUTOPLTS WOULD NOT ENGAGE, MOST NAV RELATED SYMBOLOGY ON CAPT'S ADI CRT WAS MISSING. SOME OF THIS WAS REGAINED WHEN CAPT'S INSTRUMENT SOURCE SELECTOR WAS SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT (F/O'S) POSITION. WE ALSO HAD NUMEROUS FMC MESSAGES OF 'FMC RESYNCING' FOLLOWED BY CAPT'S FMC FAILURE. CAPT THEN SELECTED ALTERNATE FMC. AT THIS POINT, THINGS SETTLED DOWN AND WE WERE FLYING THE ACFT USING THE FMS. THROUGH ALL OF THIS WE WERE BUSY, BUT MANAGED TO FLY ACFT, NAVIGATE AND ACCOMPLISH ALL ROUTINE TASKS. AS WE NEARED ORD, I PICKED UP ATIS WHICH GAVE ILS 27R AS EXPECTED APCH. SO WE LOADED THE ILS 27R INTO THE COMPUTER. AS WE SWITCHED OVER TO ORD APCH CTL, I NOTICED THAT THE CTLR SEEMED VERY BUSY. I HAD TO WAIT AT LEAST 1 MINUTES AND POSSIBLY LONGER BEFORE I COULD CHECK IN ON THE NEW FREQ. WHEN I DID CHECK IN, THE CTLR GAVE US 'DSND TO 6000, JOIN THE 22R LOC AND TRACK IT INBND'. REALIZING WE WERE PROBABLY CLOSE TO THE LOC, I QUICKLY LOOKED UP THE NEW ILS FREQ AND COURSE (WE HAD 27R ILS SET UP AS PER THE ATIS) AND DIALED IT IN. I THEN SWITCHED THE MAP DISPLAY TO VOR MODE THINKING THAT WOULD BE THE QUICKEST WAY TO FIND OUT WHERE THE LOC WAS. I THEN BEGAN TO LOAD THE NEW APCH INTO THE FMC. AS I WAS DOING THAT, THE CAPT REALIZED THE DISPLAY WAS NOT RIGHT AND I THEN SWITCHED THE MAP DISPLAY SELECTOR TO THE ILS MODE. JUST AS I WAS DOING THAT, APCH CTL CALLED AND GAVE US A HDG TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC AND TOLD US WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.