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B737 flight crew reports intercepting localizer with wrong course set causing automatic pilot to turn wrong direction.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 786362 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200805 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : den.airport |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : den.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 35r |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9500 |
| ASRS Report | 786362 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 786492 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
We were at 9000 ft with a turn to 330 degrees to intercept the localizer for runway 35R den. Autoplt was on and I (captain) was flying with my flight director in command. When the localizer came alive; the aircraft started turning left instead of right to capture the localizer. I immediately clicked off the autoplt and corrected back to an intercept heading for the localizer. We were on tower frequency and the tower called and said to immediately re-intercept the localizer. The first officer replied that we had already turned and were intercepting. I still did not have correct localizer deflection. I queried the first officer and his was correct. I then looked at my course indicator and 290 degrees was set instead of 350 degrees. I corrected the course indicator; got correct indications and continued the approach and landing. No further mention was made by ATC. This was a bad mistake in IFR conditions shooting triple approachs in den. I briefed the course but apparently never actually set it. It's on the approach descent checklist and we never caught it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS INTERCEPTING LOC WITH WRONG COURSE SET CAUSING AUTO PILOT TO TURN WRONG DIRECTION.
Narrative: WE WERE AT 9000 FT WITH A TURN TO 330 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 35R DEN. AUTOPLT WAS ON AND I (CAPT) WAS FLYING WITH MY FLT DIRECTOR IN COMMAND. WHEN THE LOC CAME ALIVE; THE ACFT STARTED TURNING L INSTEAD OF R TO CAPTURE THE LOC. I IMMEDIATELY CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND CORRECTED BACK TO AN INTERCEPT HDG FOR THE LOC. WE WERE ON TWR FREQ AND THE TWR CALLED AND SAID TO IMMEDIATELY RE-INTERCEPT THE LOC. THE FO REPLIED THAT WE HAD ALREADY TURNED AND WERE INTERCEPTING. I STILL DID NOT HAVE CORRECT LOC DEFLECTION. I QUERIED THE FO AND HIS WAS CORRECT. I THEN LOOKED AT MY COURSE INDICATOR AND 290 DEGS WAS SET INSTEAD OF 350 DEGS. I CORRECTED THE COURSE INDICATOR; GOT CORRECT INDICATIONS AND CONTINUED THE APCH AND LNDG. NO FURTHER MENTION WAS MADE BY ATC. THIS WAS A BAD MISTAKE IN IFR CONDITIONS SHOOTING TRIPLE APCHS IN DEN. I BRIEFED THE COURSE BUT APPARENTLY NEVER ACTUALLY SET IT. IT'S ON THE APCH DSCNT CHKLIST AND WE NEVER CAUGHT IT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.