Narrative:

Captain was flying the aircraft for an approach to ILS 16R at rno. We were 1 mi northeast of sparks LOM when the captain asked me to tell ATC that he wanted a 3 mi turn outside of sparks LOM. We were at 7200 ft which was an altitude given to us by ATC but which was also 1300 ft below the normal ILS intercept of 8500 ft. When I told ATC that the captain wanted a 3 mi turn on, the controller became hostile and very disturbed. He informed us that we were 1 mi from sparks and that it would be hard for him to re-vector us from there. I told the captain that we were in a good position to land from there, but he saw it a different way. The controller then told us to turn right to 340 degrees and climb to 8000 ft. We were on a 240 degree heading and the captain started a very slow climb and a shallow right turn. I advised the captain that there were very high mountains directly in front of us. He did not respond. When told again, he started a very high rate of climb, busting through 8000 ft and climbing to 8500 ft. He stopped his turn on a 285 degree heading which put us heading directly towards the highest mountains. I told the captain that we needed to turn to 340 degrees but he did not respond. The controller then issued immediate instructions to climb to 9000 ft and turn right to 070 degrees. The captain was very slow in his response and was still heading towards the mountains. It was at that time that I took control of the aircraft from the captain, made a 30 degree banked right turn and an expedited climb to 9000 ft. When on a 070 degree heading and at 9000 ft, I turned the aircraft back over to the captain. We then made a normal approach to landing on runway 16R at rno.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK ALT DEV IN NIGHT OP, VISUAL APCH TO ARPT IN PROX OF DESIGNATED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative: CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT FOR AN APCH TO ILS 16R AT RNO. WE WERE 1 MI NE OF SPARKS LOM WHEN THE CAPT ASKED ME TO TELL ATC THAT HE WANTED A 3 MI TURN OUTSIDE OF SPARKS LOM. WE WERE AT 7200 FT WHICH WAS AN ALT GIVEN TO US BY ATC BUT WHICH WAS ALSO 1300 FT BELOW THE NORMAL ILS INTERCEPT OF 8500 FT. WHEN I TOLD ATC THAT THE CAPT WANTED A 3 MI TURN ON, THE CTLR BECAME HOSTILE AND VERY DISTURBED. HE INFORMED US THAT WE WERE 1 MI FROM SPARKS AND THAT IT WOULD BE HARD FOR HIM TO RE-VECTOR US FROM THERE. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE WERE IN A GOOD POS TO LAND FROM THERE, BUT HE SAW IT A DIFFERENT WAY. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO TURN R TO 340 DEGS AND CLB TO 8000 FT. WE WERE ON A 240 DEG HDG AND THE CAPT STARTED A VERY SLOW CLB AND A SHALLOW R TURN. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT THERE WERE VERY HIGH MOUNTAINS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. HE DID NOT RESPOND. WHEN TOLD AGAIN, HE STARTED A VERY HIGH RATE OF CLB, BUSTING THROUGH 8000 FT AND CLBING TO 8500 FT. HE STOPPED HIS TURN ON A 285 DEG HDG WHICH PUT US HDG DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE NEEDED TO TURN TO 340 DEGS BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. THE CTLR THEN ISSUED IMMEDIATE INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 9000 FT AND TURN R TO 070 DEGS. THE CAPT WAS VERY SLOW IN HIS RESPONSE AND WAS STILL HDG TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS. IT WAS AT THAT TIME THAT I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FROM THE CAPT, MADE A 30 DEG BANKED R TURN AND AN EXPEDITED CLB TO 9000 FT. WHEN ON A 070 DEG HDG AND AT 9000 FT, I TURNED THE ACFT BACK OVER TO THE CAPT. WE THEN MADE A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG ON RWY 16R AT RNO.

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.