Narrative:

I was attempting to get my 2 autolands in the first 100 hours. I elected this trip to fly the remaining autoland to runway 17C in dfw. A CAT 2 autoland was briefed with all callouts to be made. Medium on autobrakes briefed. Aircraft was 120000 pounds with a vref of 127 KTS. 127 KTS was bugged as vref and 132 KTS was selected as a command bug setting. Initial contact with final approach controller asked for ILS critical area to be protected. This was approved and we were advised that we would receive an 11 mi final as a consequence. When we were switched to the tower outside the OM tower advised that the ILS critical area was unprotected. We noticed one aircraft on the runway which was subsequently cleared for takeoff. After this no other aircraft or vehicles were noted the full length of runway 17C. The aircraft flew a very nice autoland approach making nice corrections even with a wind shift and decrease at about 100 ft. The aircraft did a very nice job of lowering the nose to the ground. Thrust reversers were selected. The aircraft landed on centerline. The aircraft began to track centerline but a second later commenced a slight right drift. I thought, 'I've seen this minor deviation before.' suddenly, the aircraft entered a dramatic turn to the right. I had been following through with the controls from approach to landing to rollout. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and returned the aircraft to centerline. The sudden drift to the right was not a 'hardover' but, nevertheless, it was a very aggressive turn to the right. This event is cause for grave concern. Ground control thought maybe a truck had crossed the service road at the far end. He stated that unless the conditions are actual the ILS critical area is never protected. I suggest that we only fly confidence checks of the autoland system to CAT 2-3 certified runways that are protected. I was unable and I am still unable to attribute this incident to the aircraft. The ILS critical area was unprotected. In the future, when conducting autolands whether for proficiency or actual I intend to make a PA about cell phone use. I firmly believe that conducting autolands to CAT 1 runways or unprotected runways is in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING ROLLOUT FOLLOWING CERTIFICATION REQUIRED PRACTICE AUTOLAND PROC IN DFW, MD80 TURNS AGGRESSIVELY TO THE R AND ONLY PROMPT ACTION BY THE RPTR AVOIDED A RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET MY 2 AUTOLANDS IN THE FIRST 100 HRS. I ELECTED THIS TRIP TO FLY THE REMAINING AUTOLAND TO RWY 17C IN DFW. A CAT 2 AUTOLAND WAS BRIEFED WITH ALL CALLOUTS TO BE MADE. MEDIUM ON AUTOBRAKES BRIEFED. ACFT WAS 120000 LBS WITH A VREF OF 127 KTS. 127 KTS WAS BUGGED AS VREF AND 132 KTS WAS SELECTED AS A COMMAND BUG SETTING. INITIAL CONTACT WITH FINAL APCH CTLR ASKED FOR ILS CRITICAL AREA TO BE PROTECTED. THIS WAS APPROVED AND WE WERE ADVISED THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE AN 11 MI FINAL AS A CONSEQUENCE. WHEN WE WERE SWITCHED TO THE TWR OUTSIDE THE OM TWR ADVISED THAT THE ILS CRITICAL AREA WAS UNPROTECTED. WE NOTICED ONE ACFT ON THE RWY WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER THIS NO OTHER ACFT OR VEHICLES WERE NOTED THE FULL LENGTH OF RWY 17C. THE ACFT FLEW A VERY NICE AUTOLAND APCH MAKING NICE CORRECTIONS EVEN WITH A WIND SHIFT AND DECREASE AT ABOUT 100 FT. THE ACFT DID A VERY NICE JOB OF LOWERING THE NOSE TO THE GND. THRUST REVERSERS WERE SELECTED. THE ACFT LANDED ON CTRLINE. THE ACFT BEGAN TO TRACK CTRLINE BUT A SECOND LATER COMMENCED A SLIGHT R DRIFT. I THOUGHT, 'I'VE SEEN THIS MINOR DEV BEFORE.' SUDDENLY, THE ACFT ENTERED A DRAMATIC TURN TO THE R. I HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE CTLS FROM APCH TO LNDG TO ROLLOUT. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO CTRLINE. THE SUDDEN DRIFT TO THE R WAS NOT A 'HARDOVER' BUT, NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS A VERY AGGRESSIVE TURN TO THE R. THIS EVENT IS CAUSE FOR GRAVE CONCERN. GND CTL THOUGHT MAYBE A TRUCK HAD CROSSED THE SVC ROAD AT THE FAR END. HE STATED THAT UNLESS THE CONDITIONS ARE ACTUAL THE ILS CRITICAL AREA IS NEVER PROTECTED. I SUGGEST THAT WE ONLY FLY CONFIDENCE CHKS OF THE AUTOLAND SYS TO CAT 2-3 CERTIFIED RWYS THAT ARE PROTECTED. I WAS UNABLE AND I AM STILL UNABLE TO ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO THE ACFT. THE ILS CRITICAL AREA WAS UNPROTECTED. IN THE FUTURE, WHEN CONDUCTING AUTOLANDS WHETHER FOR PROFICIENCY OR ACTUAL I INTEND TO MAKE A PA ABOUT CELL PHONE USE. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT CONDUCTING AUTOLANDS TO CAT 1 RWYS OR UNPROTECTED RWYS IS IN ERROR.

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.