Narrative:

The following describes problems discovered while attempting to fly a coupled ILS approach to runway 23 at buffalo niagara international airport, new york. 2 crj's were inbound to the airport at the same time. I was in the second aircraft and was the PNF. In trail, at around 4-5 mi, we were being given the same heading and altitude vectors as the preceding aircraft. Listening to the approach controller vector the aircraft in front of us, we heard that the vector given for the localizer intercept didn't work and the aircraft was given another to reintercept. Being given the same heading also didn't work for us. We also needed another heading vector to reintercept the localizer. After the localizer was intercepted inbound, the GS came alive. Just prior to the IAF, the GS centered and was captured. Then the GS began to climb and we gained about 300 ft before we disconnected the autoplt and got back down to the initial approach altitude. Waiting and watching the GS indication as we were trying to decide about going missed approach or not, the indications settled down and we continued the approach by hand flying the aircraft with the flight director. After breaking out and getting a good visual on the runway, we continued to monitor the ILS indications until landing. After clearing the runway, we made comments to the tower controller and found that he was already taking notes from the flight that we had followed in on the approach. The first flight had experienced the same problems with the ILS as we did. It just so happened that both crews were on the way to the hotel for the overnight. I made an effort to talk to the other captain. After some conversation, discovered that both flts had experienced the identical problems with the ILS system. They had also attempted a coupled ILS approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ CREW, AND ANOTHER SAME MODEL ACFT, OVERSHOT THE LOC WHILE FLYING AN AUTOCOUPLED APCH TO RWY 23 AT BUF.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBES PROBS DISCOVERED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY A COUPLED ILS APCH TO RWY 23 AT BUFFALO NIAGARA INTL ARPT, NEW YORK. 2 CRJ'S WERE INBOUND TO THE ARPT AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS IN THE SECOND ACFT AND WAS THE PNF. IN TRAIL, AT AROUND 4-5 MI, WE WERE BEING GIVEN THE SAME HEADING AND ALT VECTORS AS THE PRECEDING ACFT. LISTENING TO THE APCH CTLR VECTOR THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US, WE HEARD THAT THE VECTOR GIVEN FOR THE LOC INTERCEPT DIDN'T WORK AND THE ACFT WAS GIVEN ANOTHER TO REINTERCEPT. BEING GIVEN THE SAME HEADING ALSO DIDN'T WORK FOR US. WE ALSO NEEDED ANOTHER HEADING VECTOR TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC. AFTER THE LOC WAS INTERCEPTED INBOUND, THE GS CAME ALIVE. JUST PRIOR TO THE IAF, THE GS CTRED AND WAS CAPTURED. THEN THE GS BEGAN TO CLB AND WE GAINED ABOUT 300 FT BEFORE WE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND GOT BACK DOWN TO THE INITIAL APCH ALT. WAITING AND WATCHING THE GS INDICATION AS WE WERE TRYING TO DECIDE ABOUT GOING MISSED APCH OR NOT, THE INDICATIONS SETTLED DOWN AND WE CONTINUED THE APCH BY HAND FLYING THE ACFT WITH THE FLT DIRECTOR. AFTER BREAKING OUT AND GETTING A GOOD VISUAL ON THE RWY, WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE ILS INDICATIONS UNTIL LNDG. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, WE MADE COMMENTS TO THE TWR CTLR AND FOUND THAT HE WAS ALREADY TAKING NOTES FROM THE FLT THAT WE HAD FOLLOWED IN ON THE APCH. THE FIRST FLT HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBS WITH THE ILS AS WE DID. IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT BOTH CREWS WERE ON THE WAY TO THE HOTEL FOR THE OVERNIGHT. I MADE AN EFFORT TO TALK TO THE OTHER CAPT. AFTER SOME CONVERSATION, DISCOVERED THAT BOTH FLTS HAD EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL PROBS WITH THE ILS SYS. THEY HAD ALSO ATTEMPTED A COUPLED ILS APCH.

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.