Narrative:

I was working approach/tower combined in the tower, alone. Traffic was very light. Air carrier X was inbound from the northwest. I had issued a descent clearance to 1800 ft and had the aircraft on a heading for a 5 mi base. Btr airport is extremely hard to see at night, and several times, aircraft have lined up on final to hwys rather than the runway. After I 'flashed' the runway lights at air carrier X, the pilot stated he saw the airport, at which time I cleared him for a visual approach to runway 22R, also cleared him to land. After receiving an acknowledgement, I walked to the other side of the cabin attendant to examine some material that had printed on the flight strip printer. Air carrier X asked if I would flash the runway lights again, at which time I looked up at the d-brite and noticed air carrier X was at 1100 ft, 5 mi from the airport in a turn to the southwest. I issued a climb clearance to 1800, and a vector to 090. The aircraft kept descending and turning. Air carrier X was headed right toward an antenna still descending. I told the aircraft 'climb and maintain 1800 immediately, 700 ft antenna, 12 O'clock, 1/2 mi.' I looked out the window and observed air carrier X pull up quickly. I then vectored the aircraft for an ILS approach. After talking to the pilot, it appeared he had received a 'phantom' signal on the ILS. Since this company uses the ILS to backup a visual approach, the pilot saw the needles come alive and started following them, trusting the needles instead of his eyes. We've all been taught to trust the instruments, well this time it almost caused a disaster. From this point on, I will vector everybody to the ILS final at night and ensure they are on course before diverting my attention to other duties within the cabin attendant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC VISUAL APCH MADE ILS APCH DSCNT BELOW GLIDEPATH TRACK DEV MISSED ANTENNA BY 200 FT VERT AND 1500 FT HORIZ. PLTDEV.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING APCH/TWR COMBINED IN THE TWR, ALONE. TFC WAS VERY LIGHT. ACR X WAS INBOUND FROM THE NW. I HAD ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO 1800 FT AND HAD THE ACFT ON A HDG FOR A 5 MI BASE. BTR ARPT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT, AND SEVERAL TIMES, ACFT HAVE LINED UP ON FINAL TO HWYS RATHER THAN THE RWY. AFTER I 'FLASHED' THE RWY LIGHTS AT ACR X, THE PLT STATED HE SAW THE ARPT, AT WHICH TIME I CLRED HIM FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22R, ALSO CLRED HIM TO LAND. AFTER RECEIVING AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, I WALKED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAB TO EXAMINE SOME MATERIAL THAT HAD PRINTED ON THE FLT STRIP PRINTER. ACR X ASKED IF I WOULD FLASH THE RWY LIGHTS AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME I LOOKED UP AT THE D-BRITE AND NOTICED ACR X WAS AT 1100 FT, 5 MI FROM THE ARPT IN A TURN TO THE SW. I ISSUED A CLB CLRNC TO 1800, AND A VECTOR TO 090. THE ACFT KEPT DSNDING AND TURNING. ACR X WAS HEADED RIGHT TOWARD AN ANTENNA STILL DSNDING. I TOLD THE ACFT 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 1800 IMMEDIATELY, 700 FT ANTENNA, 12 O'CLOCK, 1/2 MI.' I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND OBSERVED ACR X PULL UP QUICKLY. I THEN VECTORED THE ACFT FOR AN ILS APCH. AFTER TALKING TO THE PLT, IT APPEARED HE HAD RECEIVED A 'PHANTOM' SIGNAL ON THE ILS. SINCE THIS COMPANY USES THE ILS TO BACKUP A VISUAL APCH, THE PLT SAW THE NEEDLES COME ALIVE AND STARTED FOLLOWING THEM, TRUSTING THE NEEDLES INSTEAD OF HIS EYES. WE'VE ALL BEEN TAUGHT TO TRUST THE INSTS, WELL THIS TIME IT ALMOST CAUSED A DISASTER. FROM THIS POINT ON, I WILL VECTOR EVERYBODY TO THE ILS FINAL AT NIGHT AND ENSURE THEY ARE ON COURSE BEFORE DIVERTING MY ATTN TO OTHER DUTIES WITHIN THE CAB.

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.