Narrative:

We were on vectors from the EMI 3 arrival to bwi runway 33L visual. On downwind, ATC asked if we had the field yet and replied no. I told the captain that I would not report the field until he had visual and that his ILS had been idented. On the base leg, the captain said he had the field and I reported it to tower. The captain started to turn the airplane from base to an intercept for ruett (the FAF) and called for flaps, then gear. I had terrain mode engaged on my EFIS and map display with my VOR tuned to balance for DME. Upon completion of the landing checklist I did not have the runway in sight. I have had problems picking out runway 33L at bwi at night before, so I scanned inside. I noticed that ruett was to our right on the map display. I told the captain that according to the GPS we needed to come further right for ruett. He wanted tower to turn up the runway lights. I requested tower to turn up the lights and said we need to level off and come right for ruett. At this point the captain in the jump seat said something about radio/navigation and a map shift. I reconfirmed my radio/navigation switch and then ATC called. Tower called us with instructions for a right turn and a climb to 2000 ft at about this point. What we missed was the captain's radio/navigation switch was in navigation, his FMA was not in ILS mode, and his CDI was providing an intercept to EMI VORTAC, not the ILS. An extension of the ILS centerline would have dropped the line to EMI and provided better situational awareness on the map display than is required for egpws. Another factor was crew currency. The captain was just returning from a 4 month hiatus and the first officer had only 6 legs in the past 48 days. Supplemental information from acn 540651: over 4 months out of cockpit. First line trip back at night. First leg flown. Overlooked going from navigation to radio. Cleared for visual to runway 33L turning base leg. PNF had idented ILS and approach had been briefed. I thought I was looking at a centered up localizer, but was actually well left of course, centered up (180 degrees out) on magenta line heading for OM behind me. PNF said we were left of course, but in my mind I was still looking at a centered up ILS. Embarrassed I couldn't see the runway yet and trying to resolve these mixed signals, we got down to 1000 ft AGL before tower called for the climbing right turn and an uneventful second try. Low time copilot not to blame. My lack of currency, fatigue late at night, and fixation on an inaccurate (navigation mode vice radio ILS) instrument put me way behind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TRACK DEV ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH WITH AN ILS BACK-UP RESULTS FROM AN IMPROPER COCKPIT APCH SET-UP.

Narrative: WE WERE ON VECTORS FROM THE EMI 3 ARR TO BWI RWY 33L VISUAL. ON DOWNWIND, ATC ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD YET AND REPLIED NO. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WOULD NOT RPT THE FIELD UNTIL HE HAD VISUAL AND THAT HIS ILS HAD BEEN IDENTED. ON THE BASE LEG, THE CAPT SAID HE HAD THE FIELD AND I RPTED IT TO TWR. THE CAPT STARTED TO TURN THE AIRPLANE FROM BASE TO AN INTERCEPT FOR RUETT (THE FAF) AND CALLED FOR FLAPS, THEN GEAR. I HAD TERRAIN MODE ENGAGED ON MY EFIS AND MAP DISPLAY WITH MY VOR TUNED TO BAL FOR DME. UPON COMPLETION OF THE LNDG CHKLIST I DID NOT HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. I HAVE HAD PROBS PICKING OUT RWY 33L AT BWI AT NIGHT BEFORE, SO I SCANNED INSIDE. I NOTICED THAT RUETT WAS TO OUR R ON THE MAP DISPLAY. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT ACCORDING TO THE GPS WE NEEDED TO COME FURTHER R FOR RUETT. HE WANTED TWR TO TURN UP THE RWY LIGHTS. I REQUESTED TWR TO TURN UP THE LIGHTS AND SAID WE NEED TO LEVEL OFF AND COME R FOR RUETT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT IN THE JUMP SEAT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT RADIO/NAV AND A MAP SHIFT. I RECONFIRMED MY RADIO/NAV SWITCH AND THEN ATC CALLED. TWR CALLED US WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR A R TURN AND A CLB TO 2000 FT AT ABOUT THIS POINT. WHAT WE MISSED WAS THE CAPT'S RADIO/NAV SWITCH WAS IN NAV, HIS FMA WAS NOT IN ILS MODE, AND HIS CDI WAS PROVIDING AN INTERCEPT TO EMI VORTAC, NOT THE ILS. AN EXTENSION OF THE ILS CTRLINE WOULD HAVE DROPPED THE LINE TO EMI AND PROVIDED BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE MAP DISPLAY THAN IS REQUIRED FOR EGPWS. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS CREW CURRENCY. THE CAPT WAS JUST RETURNING FROM A 4 MONTH HIATUS AND THE FO HAD ONLY 6 LEGS IN THE PAST 48 DAYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 540651: OVER 4 MONTHS OUT OF COCKPIT. FIRST LINE TRIP BACK AT NIGHT. FIRST LEG FLOWN. OVERLOOKED GOING FROM NAV TO RADIO. CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 33L TURNING BASE LEG. PNF HAD IDENTED ILS AND APCH HAD BEEN BRIEFED. I THOUGHT I WAS LOOKING AT A CTRED UP LOC, BUT WAS ACTUALLY WELL L OF COURSE, CTRED UP (180 DEGS OUT) ON MAGENTA LINE HDG FOR OM BEHIND ME. PNF SAID WE WERE L OF COURSE, BUT IN MY MIND I WAS STILL LOOKING AT A CTRED UP ILS. EMBARRASSED I COULDN'T SEE THE RWY YET AND TRYING TO RESOLVE THESE MIXED SIGNALS, WE GOT DOWN TO 1000 FT AGL BEFORE TWR CALLED FOR THE CLBING R TURN AND AN UNEVENTFUL SECOND TRY. LOW TIME COPLT NOT TO BLAME. MY LACK OF CURRENCY, FATIGUE LATE AT NIGHT, AND FIXATION ON AN INACCURATE (NAV MODE VICE RADIO ILS) INST PUT ME WAY BEHIND.

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.