Narrative:

I was the PF as we were on the descent into atl and had briefed and set up for the ILS to runway 8L. When they handed us over to approach control at about 40 miles out; they gave us a 150 degree heading to join the ILS to runway 9R. I; as the PF; quickly changed the approach in the mcdu to the runway 9R ILS and re-briefed the approach. As I was re-briefing the approach; I noticed that the frequency that was displayed on my pfd was not the correct frequency or the correct identifier; although the waypoints were properly sequenced. The captain's information on his pfd was correct. We tried again to re-enter the runway 9R ILS in the mcdu and recycle the ILS buttons on the pfd control; but it still showed the wrong frequency and identifier. Approach had descended us now down to 4000 ft and we were joining on about a 25 mile final so I had the aircraft managed and I let it join via the RNAV. As were closer in on the approach; they descended us to 3500 ft and cleared us for the runway 9R ILS. I then tried to engage the appr push button; but it would not engage. I tried switching autoplts and then engaging the appr push button; but it still would not engage. We had a quick discussion about a flight director off approach without the autoplt; but with my pfd not displaying the correct ILS information he would fly the approach. I turned the aircraft over to the captain for the approach and asked if he wanted the landing gear and the landing check. We performed these procedures and he continued to shoot the approach. I had a hard time performing my PNF duties with no ILS information on my pfd and the aircraft started going left of the localizer. Atl approach then called us to see if we had switched over to tower yet so I answered them and then switched over to tower. The moment was getting very tense as I could not do my PNF duties very well by looking over at the captain's pfd. Atl tower cleared us to land on runway 9R and then informed us we were left of the localizer. A go around was then called for by the captain due to the approach becoming unstable and left of the localizer and the go around procedures were followed. Atl tower turned us to a 180 degree heading and we were told to climb and maintain 3000 ft. We were then handed off to approach and I; as the PNF; contacted dispatch to put us through to maintenance to confer with them why I was not getting the correct localizer information on my pfd and why the appr mode would not engage. I spoke with them for a brief time with no resolution. The captain was talking to approach and requested the runway 8R ILS. I then took back control of the aircraft and the captain talked to maintenance. I; as the PF; then did a normal ILS and landing on runway 8L. When we got to the gate; we called maintenance again to discuss the error on my pfd and our being unable to engage the appr mode. I feel our last minute change in flying roles and our rushed decision making about our navigational problem led to this unstable approach. We should not have changed roles and simply performed a go around from 3500 ft and handled the problem. Neither of us had seen a problem like this before. I also feel fatigue and a change in our circadian cycle are factors in our decision making. The previous day we had showed at xa:08 for a six leg day; followed by a 21:00 hour ZZZ overnight. On this evening; we showed at xj:00 to fly to las for a 3 hour break to do a red eye to atl. I learned many lessons about rush decision making from this event. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that they were unable to troubleshoot the anomaly on the ground because the system resets itself after landing. The most confusing portion of the event was that the waypoints were correctly displayed on the mcdu and pfd; but the ILS frequency was incorrect. In fact; the ILS for the initial runway selection was operative and did not recycle to the new selection. He restated that this was a red eye for this crew and because they were tired; they probably did not analyze the problem as well as they could have when rested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 APCHING ATL WAS GIVEN AN ILS RWY APCH CHANGE; BUT THE FO'S MCDU RETAINED THE ORIGINAL ILS DATA AFTER AN MCDU ILS CHANGE.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF AS WE WERE ON THE DSCNT INTO ATL AND HAD BRIEFED AND SET UP FOR THE ILS TO RWY 8L. WHEN THEY HANDED US OVER TO APCH CTL AT ABOUT 40 MILES OUT; THEY GAVE US A 150 DEG HDG TO JOIN THE ILS TO RWY 9R. I; AS THE PF; QUICKLY CHANGED THE APCH IN THE MCDU TO THE RWY 9R ILS AND RE-BRIEFED THE APCH. AS I WAS RE-BRIEFING THE APCH; I NOTICED THAT THE FREQ THAT WAS DISPLAYED ON MY PFD WAS NOT THE CORRECT FREQ OR THE CORRECT IDENTIFIER; ALTHOUGH THE WAYPOINTS WERE PROPERLY SEQUENCED. THE CAPT'S INFO ON HIS PFD WAS CORRECT. WE TRIED AGAIN TO RE-ENTER THE RWY 9R ILS IN THE MCDU AND RECYCLE THE ILS BUTTONS ON THE PFD CTL; BUT IT STILL SHOWED THE WRONG FREQ AND IDENTIFIER. APCH HAD DSNDED US NOW DOWN TO 4000 FT AND WE WERE JOINING ON ABOUT A 25 MILE FINAL SO I HAD THE ACFT MANAGED AND I LET IT JOIN VIA THE RNAV. AS WERE CLOSER IN ON THE APCH; THEY DSNDED US TO 3500 FT AND CLRED US FOR THE RWY 9R ILS. I THEN TRIED TO ENGAGE THE APPR PUSH BUTTON; BUT IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I TRIED SWITCHING AUTOPLTS AND THEN ENGAGING THE APPR PUSH BUTTON; BUT IT STILL WOULD NOT ENGAGE. WE HAD A QUICK DISCUSSION ABOUT A FLT DIRECTOR OFF APCH WITHOUT THE AUTOPLT; BUT WITH MY PFD NOT DISPLAYING THE CORRECT ILS INFO HE WOULD FLY THE APCH. I TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO THE CAPT FOR THE APCH AND ASKED IF HE WANTED THE LNDG GEAR AND THE LNDG CHK. WE PERFORMED THESE PROCS AND HE CONTINUED TO SHOOT THE APCH. I HAD A HARD TIME PERFORMING MY PNF DUTIES WITH NO ILS INFO ON MY PFD AND THE ACFT STARTED GOING L OF THE LOCALIZER. ATL APCH THEN CALLED US TO SEE IF WE HAD SWITCHED OVER TO TWR YET SO I ANSWERED THEM AND THEN SWITCHED OVER TO TWR. THE MOMENT WAS GETTING VERY TENSE AS I COULD NOT DO MY PNF DUTIES VERY WELL BY LOOKING OVER AT THE CAPT'S PFD. ATL TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 9R AND THEN INFORMED US WE WERE L OF THE LOCALIZER. A GO AROUND WAS THEN CALLED FOR BY THE CAPT DUE TO THE APCH BECOMING UNSTABLE AND L OF THE LOCALIZER AND THE GO AROUND PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. ATL TWR TURNED US TO A 180 DEG HDG AND WE WERE TOLD TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO APCH AND I; AS THE PNF; CONTACTED DISPATCH TO PUT US THROUGH TO MAINT TO CONFER WITH THEM WHY I WAS NOT GETTING THE CORRECT LOCALIZER INFO ON MY PFD AND WHY THE APPR MODE WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I SPOKE WITH THEM FOR A BRIEF TIME WITH NO RESOLUTION. THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO APCH AND REQUESTED THE RWY 8R ILS. I THEN TOOK BACK CTL OF THE ACFT AND THE CAPT TALKED TO MAINT. I; AS THE PF; THEN DID A NORMAL ILS AND LNDG ON RWY 8L. WHEN WE GOT TO THE GATE; WE CALLED MAINT AGAIN TO DISCUSS THE ERROR ON MY PFD AND OUR BEING UNABLE TO ENGAGE THE APPR MODE. I FEEL OUR LAST MINUTE CHANGE IN FLYING ROLES AND OUR RUSHED DECISION MAKING ABOUT OUR NAVIGATIONAL PROB LED TO THIS UNSTABLE APCH. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED ROLES AND SIMPLY PERFORMED A GO AROUND FROM 3500 FT AND HANDLED THE PROB. NEITHER OF US HAD SEEN A PROB LIKE THIS BEFORE. I ALSO FEEL FATIGUE AND A CHANGE IN OUR CIRCADIAN CYCLE ARE FACTORS IN OUR DECISION MAKING. THE PREVIOUS DAY WE HAD SHOWED AT XA:08 FOR A SIX LEG DAY; FOLLOWED BY A 21:00 HR ZZZ OVERNIGHT. ON THIS EVENING; WE SHOWED AT XJ:00 TO FLY TO LAS FOR A 3 HR BREAK TO DO A RED EYE TO ATL. I LEARNED MANY LESSONS ABOUT RUSH DECISION MAKING FROM THIS EVENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ANOMALY ON THE GND BECAUSE THE SYSTEM RESETS ITSELF AFTER LNDG. THE MOST CONFUSING PORTION OF THE EVENT WAS THAT THE WAYPOINTS WERE CORRECTLY DISPLAYED ON THE MCDU AND PFD; BUT THE ILS FREQ WAS INCORRECT. IN FACT; THE ILS FOR THE INITIAL RWY SELECTION WAS OPERATIVE AND DID NOT RECYCLE TO THE NEW SELECTION. HE RESTATED THAT THIS WAS A RED EYE FOR THIS CREW AND BECAUSE THEY WERE TIRED; THEY PROBABLY DID NOT ANALYZE THE PROB AS WELL AS THEY COULD HAVE WHEN RESTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.