Narrative:

First officer was flying. ATIS at dtw was giving 6 mi visibility and haze. ILS approach 21L, vectors for visibility runway 21R. Although visibility on final with the sun low to the southwest appeared much less (marginal VFR at best). Approach was vectoring us for the ILS 21L and gave us a heading of 240 degree to intercept the 21L localizer and cleared for the approach (winds were about 240 degree at 20 KTS). First officer had tuned in the ILS and I stayed on the held VOR for DME information. At approximately 4000' MSL and still of localizer the G/south was intercepted and the first officer continued to follow it down. I had the localizer approach heading tuned into (selected) on my CDI. When the VOR right was centered on my CDI we still had not intercepted the localizer. It was at that point that I doublechked the frequency. The first officer had selected and found he had tuned in the frequency for he ILS 21R. I quickly tuned in the correct frequency and saw we had already gone through the localizer. At the same time approach gave us a heading of 185 degree to reintercept. About the time the CDI was to center approach asked us if we had the runway in sight, which we did not, and I replied 'negative'. The controller gave us a heading of 090 degree and climb to 2000' (we were between 2000' and 1900' MSL). He then vectored us back for another ILS 21L approach which was uneventful the second time around. No mention was made if there had been any conflict with aircraft on 21R approachs. Moral: always keep an eye on the other guy and always verify the selected frequency, courses, etc. Even in reported VFR conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO FLYING HAD TUNED WRONG ILS AND WHEN CORRECT ILS TUNED IN HAD ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THE LOCALIZER. APCH CTLR GAVE HEADING BUT THEN DIRECTED THE FLT TO GO AROUND AND FLY ANOTHER ILS APCH.

Narrative: F/O WAS FLYING. ATIS AT DTW WAS GIVING 6 MI VISIBILITY AND HAZE. ILS APCH 21L, VECTORS FOR VIS RWY 21R. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY ON FINAL WITH THE SUN LOW TO THE SW APPEARED MUCH LESS (MARGINAL VFR AT BEST). APCH WAS VECTORING US FOR THE ILS 21L AND GAVE US A HDG OF 240 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE 21L LOC AND CLRED FOR THE APCH (WINDS WERE ABOUT 240 DEG AT 20 KTS). F/O HAD TUNED IN THE ILS AND I STAYED ON THE HELD VOR FOR DME INFO. AT APPROX 4000' MSL AND STILL OF LOC THE G/S WAS INTERCEPTED AND THE F/O CONTINUED TO FOLLOW IT DOWN. I HAD THE LOC APCH HDG TUNED INTO (SELECTED) ON MY CDI. WHEN THE VOR R WAS CTRED ON MY CDI WE STILL HAD NOT INTERCEPTED THE LOC. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I DOUBLECHKED THE FREQ. THE F/O HAD SELECTED AND FOUND HE HAD TUNED IN THE FREQ FOR HE ILS 21R. I QUICKLY TUNED IN THE CORRECT FREQ AND SAW WE HAD ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE LOC. AT THE SAME TIME APCH GAVE US A HDG OF 185 DEG TO REINTERCEPT. ABOUT THE TIME THE CDI WAS TO CTR APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, WHICH WE DID NOT, AND I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE'. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 090 DEG AND CLB TO 2000' (WE WERE BTWN 2000' AND 1900' MSL). HE THEN VECTORED US BACK FOR ANOTHER ILS 21L APCH WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL THE SEC TIME AROUND. NO MENTION WAS MADE IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY CONFLICT WITH ACFT ON 21R APCHS. MORAL: ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON THE OTHER GUY AND ALWAYS VERIFY THE SELECTED FREQ, COURSES, ETC. EVEN IN RPTED VFR CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.