Flight crew of an large transport air carrier aircraft made a missed approach after not being in a position for landing after executing a localizer approach due to an erratic localizer needle indication at a foreign airport.

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Attributes
ACN	271008
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gua
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gua tracon : btv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	271008
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

We were told the localizer at gva was inoperative and there was a NOTAM instructing pilots to keep thrust low near the localizer shack because of workmen in the vicinity. Upon arriving at gva we were given the arc transition to the runway 1 localizer approach. The localizer audibly idented but the autoplt would not intercept the localizer course so I flew it on raw data and descended to MDA, tracking the localizer on raw data. By the time we saw the runway it was approximately 1/4 mi to the left and way too far to land so we executed a miss. Came back around and flew a teardrop to the VOR and it was dead on. After landing we stewed a bit and then found at the bottom of the aforementioned NOTAM 'localizer signal may be erratic'! Should have read the whole NOTAM and not assumed it covered 1 aspect of the item. Gva approach should not be allowed to use an approach when the signal is grossly erratic but gives a good indent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT ACR ACFT MADE A MISSED APCH AFTER NOT BEING IN A POS FOR LNDG AFTER EXECUTING A LOC APCH DUE TO AN ERRATIC LOC NEEDLE INDICATION AT A FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD THE LOC AT GVA WAS INOP AND THERE WAS A NOTAM INSTRUCTING PLTS TO KEEP THRUST LOW NEAR THE LOC SHACK BECAUSE OF WORKMEN IN THE VICINITY. UPON ARRIVING AT GVA WE WERE GIVEN THE ARC TRANSITION TO THE RWY 1 LOC APCH. THE LOC AUDIBLY IDENTED BUT THE AUTOPLT WOULD NOT INTERCEPT THE LOC COURSE SO I FLEW IT ON RAW DATA AND DSNDED TO MDA, TRACKING THE LOC ON RAW DATA. BY THE TIME WE SAW THE RWY IT WAS APPROX 1/4 MI TO THE L AND WAY TOO FAR TO LAND SO WE EXECUTED A MISS. CAME BACK AROUND AND FLEW A TEARDROP TO THE VOR AND IT WAS DEAD ON. AFTER LNDG WE STEWED A BIT AND THEN FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AFOREMENTIONED NOTAM 'LOC SIGNAL MAY BE ERRATIC'! SHOULD HAVE READ THE WHOLE NOTAM AND NOT ASSUMED IT COVERED 1 ASPECT OF THE ITEM. GVA APCH SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE AN APCH WHEN THE SIGNAL IS GROSSLY ERRATIC BUT GIVES A GOOD INDENT.

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.