Narrative:

This was the captain's leg. The flight to sdf was uneventful. We entered the local area from maize intersection. Shortly after passing maize, we were given a 190 degree heading till abeam the airport on the west side. Aircraft were landing on runways 17L&right. We were given a left turn to a 330 degree heading. I commented to the first officer about a red localizer flag, and a GS comparitor light on my eadi. I also mentioned that I did not identify the ILS when I selected the frequency, and did not remember any NOTAMS on the runway 17R ILS. The first officer commented that it may be because we were in a position to not get a good signal. As it turned out, the frequency for the ILS had been changed, but we all 3 missed it. We were following a B757/767. We were at 4000 ft MSL. The winds at this altitude were approximately 260 degrees at 46 KTS. Traffic had been landing on both runways, but I didn't see any aircraft on base or final for runway 17L. The traffic in front of us was vectored for runway 17R base and final. We were given a heading of 060 degrees for any extremely short time, then 140 degrees to intercept the runway 17R localizer and follow the traffic in front of us. From my perspective, the traffic was coming towards us, so I was extending the base leg, waiting for localizer capture. While watching the traffic, I saw the runway lights for runway 17R and realized we had flown through the extended centerline. I immediately announced to the crew we had overshot, at the same time disconnected the autoplt and turned aggressively for the runway 17R extended centerline, with an approximately 200 degree heading. I believe we overshot the runway 17R centerline because of the winds, but also because the localizer frequency was incorrect and we didn't verify it. I was waiting for the flight director/autoplt to give me an indication that we were on centerline, since I was concentrating on keeping a visual on the aircraft in front of us. To further complicate the situation, upon turning to 140 degrees, the controller informed us the traffic we were following had a 40 KT slower ground speed. Approach then asked us to slow. So in the midst of all this we were slowing and configuring. At the point I realized we were to the left of the runway 17R centerline, I could see the runway lights of runway 17R, but not runway 17L. I don't know how close we got to runway 17L, but the potential was there. After turning on final for runway 17R, approach indicated we should now speed up, as there was traffic behind us. I don't think they had any idea how strong the winds were, and I was too busy trying to keep myself in my airspace to tell them. The winds on landing were 190 degrees at 10 KTS. We landed without incident. I feel the following items contributed to our overshooting the final for runway 17R: 1) not ensuring the navigation receiver was operative on the frequency we had selected. It had worked well on the previous leg, but we did not identify the frequency. As it turned out there had been a frequency change which the commercial charts did not reflect. We all 3 missed it on the company flight papers. 2) all 3 of us should have been looking for the traffic in front of us, and the runway. I know we were trying to pick out the traffic in the city lights, and with the wind we didn't have time for error. 3) I did not compensate for the wind when turning base leg. The short heading change by approach should have been a clue. If I had realized how quickly the base leg was going to be, I could have been ready and not flown through the centerline. 4) I believe the aircraft we were following had also slightly overshot final. Therefore, when they were trying to acquire the centerline, it appeared we were still paralleling in the opposite direction, so I extend the base leg till it visually looked ok to turn behind the traffic. 5) I do not believe ATC knew the winds on approach. If they did, they may have been able to give us a little help. We were on a 12 mi final, so a better intercept heading could have helped us out. With the ground speed differences and wind correction angles, the sight picture was a bit strange. I am guilty for not telling them about the wind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNRPTED STRONG XWIND AT SDF CAUSED ACFT TO DRIFT PAST RWY CTRLINE.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE CAPT'S LEG. THE FLT TO SDF WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE ENTERED THE LCL AREA FROM MAIZE INTXN. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING MAIZE, WE WERE GIVEN A 190 DEG HDG TILL ABEAM THE ARPT ON THE W SIDE. ACFT WERE LNDG ON RWYS 17L&R. WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN TO A 330 DEG HDG. I COMMENTED TO THE FO ABOUT A RED LOC FLAG, AND A GS COMPARITOR LIGHT ON MY EADI. I ALSO MENTIONED THAT I DID NOT IDENT THE ILS WHEN I SELECTED THE FREQ, AND DID NOT REMEMBER ANY NOTAMS ON THE RWY 17R ILS. THE FO COMMENTED THAT IT MAY BE BECAUSE WE WERE IN A POS TO NOT GET A GOOD SIGNAL. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE FREQ FOR THE ILS HAD BEEN CHANGED, BUT WE ALL 3 MISSED IT. WE WERE FOLLOWING A B757/767. WE WERE AT 4000 FT MSL. THE WINDS AT THIS ALT WERE APPROX 260 DEGS AT 46 KTS. TFC HAD BEEN LNDG ON BOTH RWYS, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY ACFT ON BASE OR FINAL FOR RWY 17L. THE TFC IN FRONT OF US WAS VECTORED FOR RWY 17R BASE AND FINAL. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 060 DEGS FOR ANY EXTREMELY SHORT TIME, THEN 140 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 17R LOC AND FOLLOW THE TFC IN FRONT OF US. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE TFC WAS COMING TOWARDS US, SO I WAS EXTENDING THE BASE LEG, WAITING FOR LOC CAPTURE. WHILE WATCHING THE TFC, I SAW THE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 17R AND REALIZED WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE EXTENDED CTRLINE. I IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED TO THE CREW WE HAD OVERSHOT, AT THE SAME TIME DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND TURNED AGGRESSIVELY FOR THE RWY 17R EXTENDED CTRLINE, WITH AN APPROX 200 DEG HDG. I BELIEVE WE OVERSHOT THE RWY 17R CTRLINE BECAUSE OF THE WINDS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE LOC FREQ WAS INCORRECT AND WE DIDN'T VERIFY IT. I WAS WAITING FOR THE FLT DIRECTOR/AUTOPLT TO GIVE ME AN INDICATION THAT WE WERE ON CTRLINE, SINCE I WAS CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING A VISUAL ON THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US. TO FURTHER COMPLICATE THE SIT, UPON TURNING TO 140 DEGS, THE CTLR INFORMED US THE TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING HAD A 40 KT SLOWER GND SPD. APCH THEN ASKED US TO SLOW. SO IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS WE WERE SLOWING AND CONFIGURING. AT THE POINT I REALIZED WE WERE TO THE L OF THE RWY 17R CTRLINE, I COULD SEE THE RWY LIGHTS OF RWY 17R, BUT NOT RWY 17L. I DON'T KNOW HOW CLOSE WE GOT TO RWY 17L, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE. AFTER TURNING ON FINAL FOR RWY 17R, APCH INDICATED WE SHOULD NOW SPD UP, AS THERE WAS TFC BEHIND US. I DON'T THINK THEY HAD ANY IDEA HOW STRONG THE WINDS WERE, AND I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF IN MY AIRSPACE TO TELL THEM. THE WINDS ON LNDG WERE 190 DEGS AT 10 KTS. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FEEL THE FOLLOWING ITEMS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR OVERSHOOTING THE FINAL FOR RWY 17R: 1) NOT ENSURING THE NAV RECEIVER WAS OPERATIVE ON THE FREQ WE HAD SELECTED. IT HAD WORKED WELL ON THE PREVIOUS LEG, BUT WE DID NOT IDENT THE FREQ. AS IT TURNED OUT THERE HAD BEEN A FREQ CHANGE WHICH THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS DID NOT REFLECT. WE ALL 3 MISSED IT ON THE COMPANY FLT PAPERS. 2) ALL 3 OF US SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE TFC IN FRONT OF US, AND THE RWY. I KNOW WE WERE TRYING TO PICK OUT THE TFC IN THE CITY LIGHTS, AND WITH THE WIND WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR ERROR. 3) I DID NOT COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND WHEN TURNING BASE LEG. THE SHORT HDG CHANGE BY APCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLUE. IF I HAD REALIZED HOW QUICKLY THE BASE LEG WAS GOING TO BE, I COULD HAVE BEEN READY AND NOT FLOWN THROUGH THE CTRLINE. 4) I BELIEVE THE ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING HAD ALSO SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT FINAL. THEREFORE, WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO ACQUIRE THE CTRLINE, IT APPEARED WE WERE STILL PARALLELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SO I EXTEND THE BASE LEG TILL IT VISUALLY LOOKED OK TO TURN BEHIND THE TFC. 5) I DO NOT BELIEVE ATC KNEW THE WINDS ON APCH. IF THEY DID, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE US A LITTLE HELP. WE WERE ON A 12 MI FINAL, SO A BETTER INTERCEPT HDG COULD HAVE HELPED US OUT. WITH THE GND SPD DIFFERENCES AND WIND CORRECTION ANGLES, THE SIGHT PICTURE WAS A BIT STRANGE. I AM GUILTY FOR NOT TELLING THEM ABOUT THE WIND.

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.