Narrative:

We were being vectored for an ILS to runway 17 at mco, heading 100 degree at 5000 ft approximately 10 mi north of the airport. Approach pointed out a widebody transport we would be passing over and asked if we had either the widebody transport or the airport in sight. I had the impression at the time we were going to follow the widebody transport to 17. We were in and out of scattered clouds and said we had neither and asked for lower because we were approximately 2500 ft above the GS intercept. We got beyond the clouds and reported the widebody transport and the airport in sight and were cleared for the visual to 17. I flew through the 17 localizer to lose altitude, and kept the widebody transport in sight who I thought was going to 17 and followed him. The flight guidance panel had indicated localizer cap with full GS deflection, and somewhere after a number of heading updates were made, capture dropped out. The gear was lowered and landing flaps were selected to assist our descent. We finally got on GS about 5 mi out and noticed localizer deflection and realized we were headed for runway 18 and the tower advised us to head back toward 17. Workload was very high, and was made more so by ATC leaving us so high so close in at 80 degrees to the final approach heading.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WRONG RWY APCH AT MCO.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS TO RWY 17 AT MCO, HDG 100 DEG AT 5000 FT APPROX 10 MI N OF THE ARPT. APCH POINTED OUT A WDB WE WOULD BE PASSING OVER AND ASKED IF WE HAD EITHER THE WDB OR THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I HAD THE IMPRESSION AT THE TIME WE WERE GOING TO FOLLOW THE WDB TO 17. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF SCATTERED CLOUDS AND SAID WE HAD NEITHER AND ASKED FOR LOWER BECAUSE WE WERE APPROX 2500 FT ABOVE THE GS INTERCEPT. WE GOT BEYOND THE CLOUDS AND RPTED THE WDB AND THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO 17. I FLEW THROUGH THE 17 LOC TO LOSE ALT, AND KEPT THE WDB IN SIGHT WHO I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO 17 AND FOLLOWED HIM. THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL HAD INDICATED LOC CAP WITH FULL GS DEFLECTION, AND SOMEWHERE AFTER A NUMBER OF HDG UPDATES WERE MADE, CAPTURE DROPPED OUT. THE GEAR WAS LOWERED AND LNDG FLAPS WERE SELECTED TO ASSIST OUR DSCNT. WE FINALLY GOT ON GS ABOUT 5 MI OUT AND NOTICED LOC DEFLECTION AND REALIZED WE WERE HEADED FOR RWY 18 AND THE TWR ADVISED US TO HEAD BACK TOWARD 17. WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH, AND WAS MADE MORE SO BY ATC LEAVING US SO HIGH SO CLOSE IN AT 80 DEGS TO THE FINAL APCH HDG.

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.