EMI causes md-88 autoplt trip due to the displacement of the captain's ILS course needle.

Attributes
ACN	293574
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abe
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abe tower : yum
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	293574
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Md-88 on ILS approach to abe. Autoplt coupled to #2 (first officer) autoplt. Captain's flight director and raw data localizer indicated aircraft left of course by 1 DOT. Checked with tower radar, which said we were on course. The ILS disagreement light illuminated and the autoplt disconnected. First officer hand flew the approach on his ILS, which was correct. After landing, we discovered a first class passenger had his laptop computer in the standby (pwred, but not running) mode. We asked the passenger to turn the computer off and had no problem on a subsequent ILS approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMI CAUSES MD-88 AUTOPLT TRIP DUE TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF THE CAPT'S ILS COURSE NEEDLE.

Narrative: MD-88 ON ILS APCH TO ABE. AUTOPLT COUPLED TO #2 (FO) AUTOPLT. CAPT'S FLT DIRECTOR AND RAW DATA LOC INDICATED ACFT L OF COURSE BY 1 DOT. CHKED WITH TWR RADAR, WHICH SAID WE WERE ON COURSE. THE ILS DISAGREEMENT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED. FO HAND FLEW THE APCH ON HIS ILS, WHICH WAS CORRECT. AFTER LNDG, WE DISCOVERED A FIRST CLASS PAX HAD HIS LAPTOP COMPUTER IN THE STANDBY (PWRED, BUT NOT RUNNING) MODE. WE ASKED THE PAX TO TURN THE COMPUTER OFF AND HAD NO PROB ON A SUBSEQUENT ILS APCH.

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.