Narrative:

During radar vectors to ILS-1 runway 17L at dfw, approach controller turned us to 220 degrees and cleared us for approach with a restriction to cross penny at 4000 ft and contact tower on 126.55 MHZ. First officer was flying and his localizer was tuned properly to 109.1. I was still on dfw VOR 117.0. As I was switching to tower frequency the first officer questioned the clearance for ILS because his instruments indicated that he was already through the localizer on the 220 degrees heading. I immediately tuned my localizer to 109.1 to confirm the indication. Both of our instruments agreed, so I called tower to ask for a turn to re-intercept. Some other voice answered saying 'air carrier Y, I think you want 126.55.' then I saw that I had not completed setting tower frequency of 126.55 and was on 125.55. As soon as I reached tower, they said I was on the wrong localizer (simultaneous approachs were in progress to runway 18R) and gave us a left turn to the east and sent us back to approach control for re-sequencing. This was a localizer overshoot with a potential for disaster! I believe this was partially caused by the controllers handoff to tower frequency before localizer intercept, and partially caused by not having my localizer tuned before the intercept vector. We had briefed to keep my navigation on dfw VORTAC better navigation awareness until on final, then switch to localizer. Supplemental information from acn 199901: approach controller turned us to 220 degrees with instructions to intercept localizer cross 'penny' at 4000 ft, cleared for approach and contact tower on 126.55. I was flying with autoplt engaged. I immediately dialed in course of 220 degrees with heading select engaged at 25 degrees angle of bank. I then questioned the altitude of 4000 ft vice 3000 ft published GS intercept) to the captain. While aircraft was still in turn I selected 'VOR/localizer' on autoplt and had confirmed 4000 ft altitude until 'penny'. The aircraft must have already flown through localizer at this time or it would have captured. As aircraft rolled out on intercept heading I noticed we were well through the localizer and needed to come further southeast to intercept. Also, approach (in this same time frame) questioned another aircraft if he showed himself on localizer (which he did) because they had him 'a DOT and 1/2 off'. I don't know if approach equipment was 'off' enough to set up a late turn to intercept which I failed to recognize in time and autoplt failed to capture. A lot of small things added up to a potentially very dangerous overshoot. Tight turn. I didn't recognize overshoot as it occurred. Autoplt didn't capture. Captain was just tuning in his ILS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POS HDG TRACK DEV DURING RADAR VECTORING TO INTERCEPT IAP ILS APCH.

Narrative: DURING RADAR VECTORS TO ILS-1 RWY 17L AT DFW, APCH CTLR TURNED US TO 220 DEGS AND CLRED US FOR APCH WITH A RESTRICTION TO CROSS PENNY AT 4000 FT AND CONTACT TWR ON 126.55 MHZ. FO WAS FLYING AND HIS LOC WAS TUNED PROPERLY TO 109.1. I WAS STILL ON DFW VOR 117.0. AS I WAS SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ THE FO QUESTIONED THE CLRNC FOR ILS BECAUSE HIS INSTS INDICATED THAT HE WAS ALREADY THROUGH THE LOC ON THE 220 DEGS HDG. I IMMEDIATELY TUNED MY LOC TO 109.1 TO CONFIRM THE INDICATION. BOTH OF OUR INSTS AGREED, SO I CALLED TWR TO ASK FOR A TURN TO RE-INTERCEPT. SOME OTHER VOICE ANSWERED SAYING 'ACR Y, I THINK YOU WANT 126.55.' THEN I SAW THAT I HAD NOT COMPLETED SETTING TWR FREQ OF 126.55 AND WAS ON 125.55. AS SOON AS I REACHED TWR, THEY SAID I WAS ON THE WRONG LOC (SIMULTANEOUS APCHS WERE IN PROGRESS TO RWY 18R) AND GAVE US A L TURN TO THE E AND SENT US BACK TO APCH CTL FOR RE-SEQUENCING. THIS WAS A LOC OVERSHOOT WITH A POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER! I BELIEVE THIS WAS PARTIALLY CAUSED BY THE CTLRS HDOF TO TWR FREQ BEFORE LOC INTERCEPT, AND PARTIALLY CAUSED BY NOT HAVING MY LOC TUNED BEFORE THE INTERCEPT VECTOR. WE HAD BRIEFED TO KEEP MY NAV ON DFW VORTAC BETTER NAV AWARENESS UNTIL ON FINAL, THEN SWITCH TO LOC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 199901: APCH CTLR TURNED US TO 220 DEGS WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO INTERCEPT LOC CROSS 'PENNY' AT 4000 FT, CLRED FOR APCH AND CONTACT TWR ON 126.55. I WAS FLYING WITH AUTOPLT ENGAGED. I IMMEDIATELY DIALED IN COURSE OF 220 DEGS WITH HDG SELECT ENGAGED AT 25 DEGS ANGLE OF BANK. I THEN QUESTIONED THE ALT OF 4000 FT VICE 3000 FT PUBLISHED GS INTERCEPT) TO THE CAPT. WHILE ACFT WAS STILL IN TURN I SELECTED 'VOR/LOC' ON AUTOPLT AND HAD CONFIRMED 4000 FT ALT UNTIL 'PENNY'. THE ACFT MUST HAVE ALREADY FLOWN THROUGH LOC AT THIS TIME OR IT WOULD HAVE CAPTURED. AS ACFT ROLLED OUT ON INTERCEPT HDG I NOTICED WE WERE WELL THROUGH THE LOC AND NEEDED TO COME FURTHER SE TO INTERCEPT. ALSO, APCH (IN THIS SAME TIME FRAME) QUESTIONED ANOTHER ACFT IF HE SHOWED HIMSELF ON LOC (WHICH HE DID) BECAUSE THEY HAD HIM 'A DOT AND 1/2 OFF'. I DON'T KNOW IF APCH EQUIP WAS 'OFF' ENOUGH TO SET UP A LATE TURN TO INTERCEPT WHICH I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE IN TIME AND AUTOPLT FAILED TO CAPTURE. A LOT OF SMALL THINGS ADDED UP TO A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS OVERSHOOT. TIGHT TURN. I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE OVERSHOOT AS IT OCCURRED. AUTOPLT DIDN'T CAPTURE. CAPT WAS JUST TUNING IN HIS ILS.

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.