Narrative:

Traffic was heavy into lax. ATC was vectoring aircraft 15-20 mi for ILS intercept. We were on vectors and were asked to slow to approach speed and descend to 2500 ft. Other chatter on the frequency regarding unusual vectoring for the final approach and reports of writing same up, was a distraction. We tuned the ILS and I was going to fly the ILS coupled, but the autoplt was not coupling, so I decided to hand fly. I intercepted the localizer and both the copilot and I missed the fact that we were too far out to intercept the GS. However, my complacency geared me to seeing that I had intercepted the GS, so I started to follow it down. TRACON (and us) noticed that we were at 1200 ft MSL and showing on GS, 14 NM out -- not good. They asked if we were aware of our altitude alert. We noted our error, climbed to localizer approach altitude and continued at that altitude to the runway. The GS never did come in. At the first indication that we were not where we thought, I should have gone 'missed' and come back in set up for the approach -- but we could see the city lights and were not visually impaired. We feel we never did get in a position to intercept the GS, so we both chalked it up to another learning experience and the fact that there was no joy in the cockpit with that approach. Yes I had to make a phone call to TRACON and discuss what had happened. I think the problem with the xbars on the attitude direction indicator was that at full deflection and not captured, it will indicate neutral or level, but not capture.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURBOJET AIR TAXI FLC FOLLOWED WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO BE THE LAX RWY 25 ILS GS. WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT 1200 FT AND STILL 14 NM OUT, THE APCH CTLR INTERVENED. THE RPTING CAPT CLBED UP TO THE LOC MDA AND CONTINUED THE APCH. THIS RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE GS MAY HAVE SHOWN NEUTRAL OR LEVEL, WHEN THE ADI HAD NOT CAPTURED.

Narrative: TFC WAS HVY INTO LAX. ATC WAS VECTORING ACFT 15-20 MI FOR ILS INTERCEPT. WE WERE ON VECTORS AND WERE ASKED TO SLOW TO APCH SPD AND DSND TO 2500 FT. OTHER CHATTER ON THE FREQ REGARDING UNUSUAL VECTORING FOR THE FINAL APCH AND RPTS OF WRITING SAME UP, WAS A DISTR. WE TUNED THE ILS AND I WAS GOING TO FLY THE ILS COUPLED, BUT THE AUTOPLT WAS NOT COUPLING, SO I DECIDED TO HAND FLY. I INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND BOTH THE COPLT AND I MISSED THE FACT THAT WE WERE TOO FAR OUT TO INTERCEPT THE GS. HOWEVER, MY COMPLACENCY GEARED ME TO SEEING THAT I HAD INTERCEPTED THE GS, SO I STARTED TO FOLLOW IT DOWN. TRACON (AND US) NOTICED THAT WE WERE AT 1200 FT MSL AND SHOWING ON GS, 14 NM OUT -- NOT GOOD. THEY ASKED IF WE WERE AWARE OF OUR ALT ALERT. WE NOTED OUR ERROR, CLBED TO LOC APCH ALT AND CONTINUED AT THAT ALT TO THE RWY. THE GS NEVER DID COME IN. AT THE FIRST INDICATION THAT WE WERE NOT WHERE WE THOUGHT, I SHOULD HAVE GONE 'MISSED' AND COME BACK IN SET UP FOR THE APCH -- BUT WE COULD SEE THE CITY LIGHTS AND WERE NOT VISUALLY IMPAIRED. WE FEEL WE NEVER DID GET IN A POS TO INTERCEPT THE GS, SO WE BOTH CHALKED IT UP TO ANOTHER LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO JOY IN THE COCKPIT WITH THAT APCH. YES I HAD TO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO TRACON AND DISCUSS WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I THINK THE PROB WITH THE XBARS ON THE ATTITUDE DIRECTION INDICATOR WAS THAT AT FULL DEFLECTION AND NOT CAPTURED, IT WILL INDICATE NEUTRAL OR LEVEL, BUT NOT CAPTURE.

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.