Narrative:

I asked captain what ATC would do to get us our approach as tower and approach control were closed, and the only other time I was in cpr they had been open. He said, from experience, it would probably be a heading to intercept the DME arc for a non radar approach. I advised I had only ever executed a DME arc once, in the simulator, but was familiar with the procedure. I briefed that at a planned speed of 250 KTS on intercept, I would begin the turn at 32 DME to intercept 29 DME arc. The captain concurred, and shortly thereafter ATC said that the heading we were on would be to intercept the 29 DME arc. I don't remember ever being 'cleared' to intercept the arc, only to expect it, though the clearance may have been given and I did not 'hear it' as the captain was working the radios. I may have been distraction at that time, busy calculating and monitoring our descent which was a series of stepdowns in moderate icing with power above idle, speed brakes deployed, over mountainous terrain (brain overload). At about 20 DME, ATC asked 'are you going to turn to intercept the arc?' at which point I realized I had missed the turn, and immediately turned left to intercept. ATC then cleared us to 13000 ft and reclred(?) us for the approach, which was 'uneventful.' (if a mountainous terrain, moderate icing, 500 and 1, snow covered runway approach could be called that.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A CARGO ACR B727 OVERSHOT THE DME ARC FOR A DME APCH RESULTING IN ARTCC RADAR CTLR INTERVENTION. THE FO IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE PUBLISHED DME ARC AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL APCH AND LNDG.

Narrative: I ASKED CAPT WHAT ATC WOULD DO TO GET US OUR APCH AS TWR AND APCH CTL WERE CLOSED, AND THE ONLY OTHER TIME I WAS IN CPR THEY HAD BEEN OPEN. HE SAID, FROM EXPERIENCE, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE DME ARC FOR A NON RADAR APCH. I ADVISED I HAD ONLY EVER EXECUTED A DME ARC ONCE, IN THE SIMULATOR, BUT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROC. I BRIEFED THAT AT A PLANNED SPD OF 250 KTS ON INTERCEPT, I WOULD BEGIN THE TURN AT 32 DME TO INTERCEPT 29 DME ARC. THE CAPT CONCURRED, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER ATC SAID THAT THE HDG WE WERE ON WOULD BE TO INTERCEPT THE 29 DME ARC. I DON'T REMEMBER EVER BEING 'CLRED' TO INTERCEPT THE ARC, ONLY TO EXPECT IT, THOUGH THE CLRNC MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND I DID NOT 'HEAR IT' AS THE CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. I MAY HAVE BEEN DISTR AT THAT TIME, BUSY CALCULATING AND MONITORING OUR DSCNT WHICH WAS A SERIES OF STEPDOWNS IN MODERATE ICING WITH PWR ABOVE IDLE, SPD BRAKES DEPLOYED, OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN (BRAIN OVERLOAD). AT ABOUT 20 DME, ATC ASKED 'ARE YOU GOING TO TURN TO INTERCEPT THE ARC?' AT WHICH POINT I REALIZED I HAD MISSED THE TURN, AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED L TO INTERCEPT. ATC THEN CLRED US TO 13000 FT AND RECLRED(?) US FOR THE APCH, WHICH WAS 'UNEVENTFUL.' (IF A MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, MODERATE ICING, 500 AND 1, SNOW COVERED RWY APCH COULD BE CALLED THAT.)

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.