Narrative:

We reported for duty at am EST in atl. So far our day was atl-msp, ending in an ILS to high gusty winds and an icy runway. Msp-cvg, ending with a night ILS to gusty winds. Cvg-dfw--a 2:50 flight in strong xwinds, continuous turbulence, holding at dfw and an ILS to a low scud layer (an FAA controller rode jump seat). Dfw-shv, continuous chop to an ILS in moderate rain. I contacted our flight control while in shv to ascertain whether the tower would be open in mlu. I was advised they would be closed. With this in mind, I briefed my first officer while still in shu that we would probably end up shooting the ILS 4 approach with the arc. We thoroughly covered the procedures we would use before leaving the gate in shu. En route the first officer got the ATIS which reported 1000' broken, 2000' overcast, winds 330 at 12, visibility 12 mi, runway 4 in use. 25 mi west of mlu ZFW asked us what our intentions were. He responded we wanted to shoot the runway 4 ILS utilizing the arc transition. ZFW cleared us for the approach. At the mlu 227 degree right, I started a turn to intercept the 041 degree right inbound ILS course. I switched #1 navigation receiver to the ILS. The first officer stayed on the mlu VOR. At this point, I saw the inbound course to be to my left. Knowing there were strong westerly winds, I assumed I overshot the radial and continued the turn to 030 degrees to re-intercept. I then punched the VOR/ADF button on my RMI so I would be in ADF. It showed the marker to be at a bearing of 060 degrees, but the ILS inbound course was still showing left. I asked the first officer to verify we were actually left of course and he did so using the VOR and ADF. As I now started a turn to 070 degrees to intercept, I asked him to verify the identify on the ILS. This normally would have been done when I initially switched to the ILS, but the confusion indications delayed this check. He confirmed the identify was ok (it was not). I rotated the heading bug to 041 degrees as per aircraft procedure. Then the approach mode indicator went blank and the aircraft began a slight climb. The G/south marker was bouncing from +/- 1 DOT and the localizer was off scale (we had a false capture). I established level flight at 2000' and re-engaged the flight director and autoplt--level and heading 041 degrees. Still unsure of what was happening, I decided to abandon the approach and proceed to the VOR for a missed approach. I switched back to the VOR and centered the course needle (031 degrees) and at this point I saw the runway. I had no intention of leaving 2000' until we positively idented our position and that we had the correct runway. He confirmed my indications and we configured for landing and started a visibility descent. About 1/2-3/4 mi from the runway we were still 1000' AGL and it was evident a safe approach to runway 4 could not be made from this point. I told the first officer we would circle to land runway 22. He made the advisory call to ZFW that we were circling to land runway 22. ZFW said (and I did not hear this, but the first officer confirmed it later) 'that may be a good idea as the ILS is on runway 22.' the next day I called mlu tower to see if I could find out what happened the night before. I was advised that when tower closed they switched the ILS from runway 4 to runway 22 and rebroadcast on ATIS to this effect. At no time were we ever advised there was a new ATIS with this information nor did ZFW tell us the approach had been switched! The identify the first officer got was for runway 22 (2 of the 4 letters are the same). After a 13 hour day at night, in a dark cockpit with continuous chop, he thought he was hearing a good runway 4 identify. The problem that existed was a break down in communications between mlu tower, ZFW and us. Everyone knew the ILS was switched except us. The last ATIS we received gave no indication a runway change was imminent. Mlu tower said they did not know we were on the approach to runway 4 when they switched as they had already relinquished their airspace to ZFW by the time we received clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRIED TO FLY IAP ILS APCH TO RWY 4 AT MLU WITH THE LOCALIZER SET BY TWR FOR AN APCH TO RWY 22. ACFT WENT VISUAL AND COMPLETED CIRCLING APCH TO RWY 22 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Narrative: WE RPTED FOR DUTY AT AM EST IN ATL. SO FAR OUR DAY WAS ATL-MSP, ENDING IN AN ILS TO HIGH GUSTY WINDS AND AN ICY RWY. MSP-CVG, ENDING WITH A NIGHT ILS TO GUSTY WINDS. CVG-DFW--A 2:50 FLT IN STRONG XWINDS, CONTINUOUS TURB, HOLDING AT DFW AND AN ILS TO A LOW SCUD LAYER (AN FAA CTLR RODE JUMP SEAT). DFW-SHV, CONTINUOUS CHOP TO AN ILS IN MODERATE RAIN. I CONTACTED OUR FLT CTL WHILE IN SHV TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE TWR WOULD BE OPEN IN MLU. I WAS ADVISED THEY WOULD BE CLOSED. WITH THIS IN MIND, I BRIEFED MY F/O WHILE STILL IN SHU THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY END UP SHOOTING THE ILS 4 APCH WITH THE ARC. WE THOROUGHLY COVERED THE PROCS WE WOULD USE BEFORE LEAVING THE GATE IN SHU. ENRTE THE F/O GOT THE ATIS WHICH RPTED 1000' BROKEN, 2000' OVCST, WINDS 330 AT 12, VISIBILITY 12 MI, RWY 4 IN USE. 25 MI W OF MLU ZFW ASKED US WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE. HE RESPONDED WE WANTED TO SHOOT THE RWY 4 ILS UTILIZING THE ARC TRANSITION. ZFW CLRED US FOR THE APCH. AT THE MLU 227 DEG R, I STARTED A TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 041 DEG R INBND ILS COURSE. I SWITCHED #1 NAV RECEIVER TO THE ILS. THE F/O STAYED ON THE MLU VOR. AT THIS POINT, I SAW THE INBND COURSE TO BE TO MY LEFT. KNOWING THERE WERE STRONG WESTERLY WINDS, I ASSUMED I OVERSHOT THE RADIAL AND CONTINUED THE TURN TO 030 DEGS TO RE-INTERCEPT. I THEN PUNCHED THE VOR/ADF BUTTON ON MY RMI SO I WOULD BE IN ADF. IT SHOWED THE MARKER TO BE AT A BEARING OF 060 DEGS, BUT THE ILS INBND COURSE WAS STILL SHOWING LEFT. I ASKED THE F/O TO VERIFY WE WERE ACTUALLY LEFT OF COURSE AND HE DID SO USING THE VOR AND ADF. AS I NOW STARTED A TURN TO 070 DEGS TO INTERCEPT, I ASKED HIM TO VERIFY THE IDENT ON THE ILS. THIS NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WHEN I INITIALLY SWITCHED TO THE ILS, BUT THE CONFUSION INDICATIONS DELAYED THIS CHK. HE CONFIRMED THE IDENT WAS OK (IT WAS NOT). I ROTATED THE HDG BUG TO 041 DEGS AS PER ACFT PROC. THEN THE APCH MODE INDICATOR WENT BLANK AND THE ACFT BEGAN A SLIGHT CLB. THE G/S MARKER WAS BOUNCING FROM +/- 1 DOT AND THE LOC WAS OFF SCALE (WE HAD A FALSE CAPTURE). I ESTABLISHED LEVEL FLT AT 2000' AND RE-ENGAGED THE FLT DIRECTOR AND AUTOPLT--LEVEL AND HDG 041 DEGS. STILL UNSURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING, I DECIDED TO ABANDON THE APCH AND PROCEED TO THE VOR FOR A MISSED APCH. I SWITCHED BACK TO THE VOR AND CENTERED THE COURSE NEEDLE (031 DEGS) AND AT THIS POINT I SAW THE RWY. I HAD NO INTENTION OF LEAVING 2000' UNTIL WE POSITIVELY IDENTED OUR POS AND THAT WE HAD THE CORRECT RWY. HE CONFIRMED MY INDICATIONS AND WE CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND STARTED A VIS DSCNT. ABOUT 1/2-3/4 MI FROM THE RWY WE WERE STILL 1000' AGL AND IT WAS EVIDENT A SAFE APCH TO RWY 4 COULD NOT BE MADE FROM THIS POINT. I TOLD THE F/O WE WOULD CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 22. HE MADE THE ADVISORY CALL TO ZFW THAT WE WERE CIRCLING TO LAND RWY 22. ZFW SAID (AND I DID NOT HEAR THIS, BUT THE F/O CONFIRMED IT LATER) 'THAT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA AS THE ILS IS ON RWY 22.' THE NEXT DAY I CALLED MLU TWR TO SEE IF I COULD FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT BEFORE. I WAS ADVISED THAT WHEN TWR CLOSED THEY SWITCHED THE ILS FROM RWY 4 TO RWY 22 AND REBROADCAST ON ATIS TO THIS EFFECT. AT NO TIME WERE WE EVER ADVISED THERE WAS A NEW ATIS WITH THIS INFO NOR DID ZFW TELL US THE APCH HAD BEEN SWITCHED! THE IDENT THE F/O GOT WAS FOR RWY 22 (2 OF THE 4 LETTERS ARE THE SAME). AFTER A 13 HR DAY AT NIGHT, IN A DARK COCKPIT WITH CONTINUOUS CHOP, HE THOUGHT HE WAS HEARING A GOOD RWY 4 IDENT. THE PROB THAT EXISTED WAS A BREAK DOWN IN COMS BTWN MLU TWR, ZFW AND US. EVERYONE KNEW THE ILS WAS SWITCHED EXCEPT US. THE LAST ATIS WE RECEIVED GAVE NO INDICATION A RWY CHANGE WAS IMMINENT. MLU TWR SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW WE WERE ON THE APCH TO RWY 4 WHEN THEY SWITCHED AS THEY HAD ALREADY RELINQUISHED THEIR AIRSPACE TO ZFW BY THE TIME WE RECEIVED CLRNC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.