Narrative:

The captain had briefed a visual approach to runway 36L with an RNAV runway 36L approach backup. He had entered the RNAV approach into our FMS and coupled the FMS to the autoplt which was flying the aircraft. When we crossed the leese fix the autoplt turned right and headed for the 'cambe' intersection which was the initial approach fix for the RNAV runway 36L approach. The copilot, me, was off frequency and engaged in a radio conversation, not monitoring the captain. The FMS, coupled to the autoplt in the navigation mode, was doing exactly as the captain had programmed it, so he did not suspect a problem. Recommended action: have all arrs end where 'expect vectors to final approach course' begins. I have included the leese 8 arrival to the orlando executive airport. It is the same as the arrival to orlando international. I have also included the bucks arrival into philadelphia international as an example of a recommended fix for this problem. On the bucks arrival there is no additional fix to fly to after bucks, therefore the controller must issue a heading before aircraft proceed past bucks. If all arrs were constructed as the bucks arrival the chances of this happening again would be diminished. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he was an ATC radar controller for over 10 yrs and he knew when the controller came on frequency and asked 'what is your heading?' that something was wrong. He initially checked the TCASII and noted no traffic. Controller asked where did you get that heading? Reporter was given the approach to expect from ATIS and that is what had been programmed. Reporter realizes that the controller had expected them to continue on to the VOR as shown on the arrival chart. He has had the feeling for over 25 yrs that there should be no way to continue beyond the last fix when an arrival says 'expect vectors on final approach course after xxxxx intersection.' then the controller must give vectors and would avoid this kind of problem. Reporter will facsimile a copy of the RNAV runway 36L approach since it is not a normally published approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP FLC ON ARR WITH 'EXPECT RADAR VECTORS' DEVIATES FROM THIS PROC AFTER PROGRAMMING FOR APCH INDICATED ON ATIS.

Narrative: THE CAPT HAD BRIEFED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36L WITH AN RNAV RWY 36L APCH BACKUP. HE HAD ENTERED THE RNAV APCH INTO OUR FMS AND COUPLED THE FMS TO THE AUTOPLT WHICH WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WHEN WE CROSSED THE LEESE FIX THE AUTOPLT TURNED R AND HEADED FOR THE 'CAMBE' INTXN WHICH WAS THE INITIAL APCH FIX FOR THE RNAV RWY 36L APCH. THE COPLT, ME, WAS OFF FREQ AND ENGAGED IN A RADIO CONVERSATION, NOT MONITORING THE CAPT. THE FMS, COUPLED TO THE AUTOPLT IN THE NAV MODE, WAS DOING EXACTLY AS THE CAPT HAD PROGRAMMED IT, SO HE DID NOT SUSPECT A PROB. RECOMMENDED ACTION: HAVE ALL ARRS END WHERE 'EXPECT VECTORS TO FINAL APCH COURSE' BEGINS. I HAVE INCLUDED THE LEESE 8 ARR TO THE ORLANDO EXECUTIVE ARPT. IT IS THE SAME AS THE ARR TO ORLANDO INTL. I HAVE ALSO INCLUDED THE BUCKS ARR INTO PHILADELPHIA INTL AS AN EXAMPLE OF A RECOMMENDED FIX FOR THIS PROB. ON THE BUCKS ARR THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL FIX TO FLY TO AFTER BUCKS, THEREFORE THE CTLR MUST ISSUE A HDG BEFORE ACFT PROCEED PAST BUCKS. IF ALL ARRS WERE CONSTRUCTED AS THE BUCKS ARR THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN WOULD BE DIMINISHED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS AN ATC RADAR CTLR FOR OVER 10 YRS AND HE KNEW WHEN THE CTLR CAME ON FREQ AND ASKED 'WHAT IS YOUR HDG?' THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. HE INITIALLY CHKED THE TCASII AND NOTED NO TFC. CTLR ASKED WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HDG? RPTR WAS GIVEN THE APCH TO EXPECT FROM ATIS AND THAT IS WHAT HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED. RPTR REALIZES THAT THE CTLR HAD EXPECTED THEM TO CONTINUE ON TO THE VOR AS SHOWN ON THE ARR CHART. HE HAS HAD THE FEELING FOR OVER 25 YRS THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO WAY TO CONTINUE BEYOND THE LAST FIX WHEN AN ARR SAYS 'EXPECT VECTORS ON FINAL APCH COURSE AFTER XXXXX INTXN.' THEN THE CTLR MUST GIVE VECTORS AND WOULD AVOID THIS KIND OF PROB. RPTR WILL FAX A COPY OF THE RNAV RWY 36L APCH SINCE IT IS NOT A NORMALLY PUBLISHED 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.