Narrative:

Departure from elko, nv, to medford, or, at XA00Z. WX was FL250 overcast with winds at mfr favoring runway 32. It would be a visual going into mfr and so I allowed the first officer to fly the leg. I tried to get the ATIS at mfr 100 mi out and was unsuccessful. The ATIS was unintelligible and remained such until I gave up trying about 30 mi out. We could see a cloud layer west of the mountains over medford. The bases were 8000 ft and scud like. The tops were at 9000 ft. The mountain ridge to the east of town was in the clear and visible. We could also see the lights of the city. We had asked ATC for the current WX at mfr. What he reported was 1 hour old. He expected us to get a visual to runway 32. We were given a clearance to descend to 8000 ft. As we got closer to the mountain ridge we discussed the remote possibility of a visual into mfr. Approach called us to call the airport in sight. I was not comfortable in doing so. Though we could see the lights of the city, we could not see the airport. We were at 8000 ft and if we continued over the mountains at that altitude we would be IMC 5 mi west of the mountains. Less than 30 mi out of mfr, the GPS was disconnected from the autoplt and the first officer flew the aircraft manually. Shortly after disconnecting the GPS, approach called me and asked about our heading. He seemed to be upset. We hadn't been on a 'heading,' our clearance was direct to medford. I looked out and saw we were still approaching the city lights. I checked the GPS bug which showed that also. Our heading was not the problem, but without setting up for the back course into runway 32, we were not going to find the airport. We were still proceeding toward mfr. I conveyed to approach we would need the back course. This seemed to upset the controller further. We were at 8000 ft and would have to be at 9600 ft prior to starting the procedure. I have to commend the controller as he immediately gave us a heading and 9600 ft clearance. We remained clear of clouds until turning back to intercept the back course. Had the ATIS been svcable we would have requested the back course early on and the controller would not have cleared us to 8000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR INBOUND TO MFR ON A DIRECT HDG WAS DSNDING FOR A POSSIBLE VISUAL APCH, BUT WAS NOT COMFORTABLE DUE TO THE TERRAIN AROUND THE ARPT. THE ACFT HAD THE CITY LIGHTS, BUT ASKED APCH CTL FOR A BACK COURSE APCH. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY CLBED THE ACFT TO THE IAP ALT AND THE APCH WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: DEP FROM ELKO, NV, TO MEDFORD, OR, AT XA00Z. WX WAS FL250 OVCST WITH WINDS AT MFR FAVORING RWY 32. IT WOULD BE A VISUAL GOING INTO MFR AND SO I ALLOWED THE FO TO FLY THE LEG. I TRIED TO GET THE ATIS AT MFR 100 MI OUT AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE ATIS WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE AND REMAINED SUCH UNTIL I GAVE UP TRYING ABOUT 30 MI OUT. WE COULD SEE A CLOUD LAYER W OF THE MOUNTAINS OVER MEDFORD. THE BASES WERE 8000 FT AND SCUD LIKE. THE TOPS WERE AT 9000 FT. THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE TO THE E OF TOWN WAS IN THE CLR AND VISIBLE. WE COULD ALSO SEE THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY. WE HAD ASKED ATC FOR THE CURRENT WX AT MFR. WHAT HE RPTED WAS 1 HR OLD. HE EXPECTED US TO GET A VISUAL TO RWY 32. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND TO 8000 FT. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE WE DISCUSSED THE REMOTE POSSIBILITY OF A VISUAL INTO MFR. APCH CALLED US TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE IN DOING SO. THOUGH WE COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY, WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. WE WERE AT 8000 FT AND IF WE CONTINUED OVER THE MOUNTAINS AT THAT ALT WE WOULD BE IMC 5 MI W OF THE MOUNTAINS. LESS THAN 30 MI OUT OF MFR, THE GPS WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE AUTOPLT AND THE FO FLEW THE ACFT MANUALLY. SHORTLY AFTER DISCONNECTING THE GPS, APCH CALLED ME AND ASKED ABOUT OUR HDG. HE SEEMED TO BE UPSET. WE HADN'T BEEN ON A 'HDG,' OUR CLRNC WAS DIRECT TO MEDFORD. I LOOKED OUT AND SAW WE WERE STILL APCHING THE CITY LIGHTS. I CHKED THE GPS BUG WHICH SHOWED THAT ALSO. OUR HDG WAS NOT THE PROB, BUT WITHOUT SETTING UP FOR THE BACK COURSE INTO RWY 32, WE WERE NOT GOING TO FIND THE ARPT. WE WERE STILL PROCEEDING TOWARD MFR. I CONVEYED TO APCH WE WOULD NEED THE BACK COURSE. THIS SEEMED TO UPSET THE CTLR FURTHER. WE WERE AT 8000 FT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE AT 9600 FT PRIOR TO STARTING THE PROC. I HAVE TO COMMEND THE CTLR AS HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A HDG AND 9600 FT CLRNC. WE REMAINED CLR OF CLOUDS UNTIL TURNING BACK TO INTERCEPT THE BACK COURSE. HAD THE ATIS BEEN SVCABLE WE WOULD HAVE REQUESTED THE BACK COURSE EARLY ON AND THE CTLR WOULD NOT HAVE CLRED US TO 8000 FT.

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.