Narrative:

Due to winds and WX the NDB 31 was our only available approach. Btr approach vectored us to approximately 4 mi from the final approach fix approximately on course at 2100 ft (final approach fix altitude). The ADF needle was oscillating around the 311 degree inbound course and the first officer seemed to do a nice job of playing the winds and oscillations. The approach controller sent us to tower at the final approach fix. Based on VOR I thought we were slightly left. The ADF needle now steadied up on the 311 degree (on course). I was mostly outside as visibility improved. Throughout the approach the NAVAID had a strong identify. Just inside the final approach fix (about 1 min or so) the tower called us weights and said he saw us. Our flight visibility had improved to marginal VFR and we proceeded to land. Did I mention we were way left of course? We spoke to btr tower and they requested another aircraft fly the NDB 31. The pilot refused saying something to the effect it pointed toward some towers in the area and not at the field -- apparently it was local knowledge. Again, we were centered on course with a strong identify going somewhere other than the NDB. Fortunately the visibility wasn't too bad, lesson? Don't fly NDB's? Cross tune VOR more? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the PIC stated that the first officer had the approach 'pegged' right on at 311 degrees on the NDB reading when the aircraft was but 4 mi out. The surface winds were wnw, with the first officer holding a slight left correction. There was at least one thunderstorm in the area, negating the use of runway 22 by the captain because of a storm cell over the LOM for runway 22. Rain showers prevailed in the area. Captain felt the aircraft was left of course by his reference to the distance display on the VOR when at the IAF, creol. Later, he asked the controllers why they had not advised him of being left of course. Reply: 'we were watching you.' at the ramp the first officer tuned to the tower and heard a C172 local GA pilot refuse the NDB approach and blamed the flawed ADF reading on the microwave antennas on the hospital in the area southwest of the airport. The captain advised dispatch of the event, the company and the union contacted the airport and a NAVAID flight check was performed by an unknown crew. Flight checked 'ok.' captain is resolute in his opinion of an existing problem with EMI from an unknown source.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 FLC FIND THEMSELVES 1 MI L OF THE APCH COURSE WHEN 4 MI OUT ON THE NDB APCH TO RWY 31 AT BTR, LA.

Narrative: DUE TO WINDS AND WX THE NDB 31 WAS OUR ONLY AVAILABLE APCH. BTR APCH VECTORED US TO APPROX 4 MI FROM THE FINAL APCH FIX APPROX ON COURSE AT 2100 FT (FINAL APCH FIX ALTITUDE). THE ADF NEEDLE WAS OSCILLATING AROUND THE 311 DEG INBOUND COURSE AND THE FO SEEMED TO DO A NICE JOB OF PLAYING THE WINDS AND OSCILLATIONS. THE APCH CTLR SENT US TO TWR AT THE FINAL APCH FIX. BASED ON VOR I THOUGHT WE WERE SLIGHTLY L. THE ADF NEEDLE NOW STEADIED UP ON THE 311 DEG (ON COURSE). I WAS MOSTLY OUTSIDE AS VISIBILITY IMPROVED. THROUGHOUT THE APCH THE NAVAID HAD A STRONG IDENT. JUST INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX (ABOUT 1 MIN OR SO) THE TWR CALLED US WTS AND SAID HE SAW US. OUR FLT VISIBILITY HAD IMPROVED TO MARGINAL VFR AND WE PROCEEDED TO LAND. DID I MENTION WE WERE WAY L OF COURSE? WE SPOKE TO BTR TWR AND THEY REQUESTED ANOTHER ACFT FLY THE NDB 31. THE PLT REFUSED SAYING SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT IT POINTED TOWARD SOME TWRS IN THE AREA AND NOT AT THE FIELD -- APPARENTLY IT WAS LCL KNOWLEDGE. AGAIN, WE WERE CENTERED ON COURSE WITH A STRONG IDENT GOING SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN THE NDB. FORTUNATELY THE VISIBILITY WASN'T TOO BAD, LESSON? DON'T FLY NDB'S? CROSS TUNE VOR MORE? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PIC STATED THAT THE FO HAD THE APCH 'PEGGED' RIGHT ON AT 311 DEGS ON THE NDB READING WHEN THE ACFT WAS BUT 4 MI OUT. THE SURFACE WINDS WERE WNW, WITH THE FO HOLDING A SLIGHT L CORRECTION. THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE TSTM IN THE AREA, NEGATING THE USE OF RWY 22 BY THE CAPT BECAUSE OF A STORM CELL OVER THE LOM FOR RWY 22. RAIN SHOWERS PREVAILED IN THE AREA. CAPT FELT THE ACFT WAS L OF COURSE BY HIS REF TO THE DISTANCE DISPLAY ON THE VOR WHEN AT THE IAF, CREOL. LATER, HE ASKED THE CTLRS WHY THEY HAD NOT ADVISED HIM OF BEING L OF COURSE. REPLY: 'WE WERE WATCHING YOU.' AT THE RAMP THE FO TUNED TO THE TWR AND HEARD A C172 LCL GA PLT REFUSE THE NDB APCH AND BLAMED THE FLAWED ADF READING ON THE MICROWAVE ANTENNAS ON THE HOSPITAL IN THE AREA SW OF THE ARPT. THE CAPT ADVISED DISPATCH OF THE EVENT, THE COMPANY AND THE UNION CONTACTED THE ARPT AND A NAVAID FLT CHK WAS PERFORMED BY AN UNKNOWN CREW. FLT CHECKED 'OK.' CAPT IS RESOLUTE IN HIS OPINION OF AN EXISTING PROB WITH EMI FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE.

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.