Narrative:

Flight from lax was approaching hou for landing on runway 30L. WX was 1800-1900' overcast and 10 mi visibility. At approximately 8 mi from the field, we were cleared to descend to 2000' MSL, given a vector heading of 320 degrees and cleared for the ILS to 30L. I requested that the first officer complete the approach checklist. Hou approach control called back and said that they had vectored us through the localizer and to turn back to heading 270 degrees to intercept. The HSI needle verified his instructions since it was deflected full left. I turned to 270 degrees and started to break out of the clouds. We could see the ground but the ILS was still deflected full left at just 6 mi DME from the field. At 1900' MSL we broke out of the clouds and I saw the field about 30 degrees to my right. At about this time we had been handed off to tower and they called us and asked if we had the field in sight. We confirmed and were cleared for a visibility. The ILS needle was still deflected full left. When we were lined up on final at about 1-2 mi, the HSI needle became centered but the G/south warning kept going on. They apologized and said I should have been cleared for a VOR approach to 30L because the FAA had, 'been on them to get some maintenance done on the 12R ILS.' although we had been cleared for an ILS to 30L, the ILS was in fact switched to 12R, making our approach non-directional for the HSI unless we flew a backcourse. To compound matters, the first officer was confused about the morse code identify but never said anything to me. He assumed that everything was ok and that an approach checklist in near VFR conditions was probably not necessary. He was just going through the motions. In addition, he believed that the identify for 30L and 12R would always be the same. He believed this about all airports! He ignored the printed identify on the 30L ILS approach page and never communicated to his captain that 1) there was a problem and, 2) the approach checklist was not complete. I have taken corrective actions with the first officer. I believe that, once again, poor communications in the cockpit occurred and very poor communications occurred between hou approach control and hou tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WAS CLEARED FOR AN IAP ILS APCH TO RWY 30R AT HOU, BUT THE NAVIGATIONAL FAC WAS SET UP FOR RWY 12. ACFT WAS VMC AT 1900' AND WAS THEN CLEARED FOR THE VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: FLT FROM LAX WAS APCHING HOU FOR LNDG ON RWY 30L. WX WAS 1800-1900' OVCST AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. AT APPROX 8 MI FROM THE FIELD, WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 2000' MSL, GIVEN A VECTOR HDG OF 320 DEGS AND CLRED FOR THE ILS TO 30L. I REQUESTED THAT THE F/O COMPLETE THE APCH CHKLIST. HOU APCH CTL CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT THEY HAD VECTORED US THROUGH THE LOC AND TO TURN BACK TO HDG 270 DEGS TO INTERCEPT. THE HSI NEEDLE VERIFIED HIS INSTRUCTIONS SINCE IT WAS DEFLECTED FULL LEFT. I TURNED TO 270 DEGS AND STARTED TO BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS. WE COULD SEE THE GND BUT THE ILS WAS STILL DEFLECTED FULL LEFT AT JUST 6 MI DME FROM THE FIELD. AT 1900' MSL WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND I SAW THE FIELD ABOUT 30 DEGS TO MY RIGHT. AT ABOUT THIS TIME WE HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO TWR AND THEY CALLED US AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE CONFIRMED AND WERE CLRED FOR A VIS. THE ILS NEEDLE WAS STILL DEFLECTED FULL LEFT. WHEN WE WERE LINED UP ON FINAL AT ABOUT 1-2 MI, THE HSI NEEDLE BECAME CENTERED BUT THE G/S WARNING KEPT GOING ON. THEY APOLOGIZED AND SAID I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR A VOR APCH TO 30L BECAUSE THE FAA HAD, 'BEEN ON THEM TO GET SOME MAINT DONE ON THE 12R ILS.' ALTHOUGH WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR AN ILS TO 30L, THE ILS WAS IN FACT SWITCHED TO 12R, MAKING OUR APCH NON-DIRECTIONAL FOR THE HSI UNLESS WE FLEW A BACKCOURSE. TO COMPOUND MATTERS, THE F/O WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THE MORSE CODE IDENT BUT NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME. HE ASSUMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK AND THAT AN APCH CHKLIST IN NEAR VFR CONDITIONS WAS PROBABLY NOT NECESSARY. HE WAS JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. IN ADDITION, HE BELIEVED THAT THE IDENT FOR 30L AND 12R WOULD ALWAYS BE THE SAME. HE BELIEVED THIS ABOUT ALL ARPTS! HE IGNORED THE PRINTED IDENT ON THE 30L ILS APCH PAGE AND NEVER COMMUNICATED TO HIS CAPT THAT 1) THERE WAS A PROB AND, 2) THE APCH CHKLIST WAS NOT COMPLETE. I HAVE TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WITH THE F/O. I BELIEVE THAT, ONCE AGAIN, POOR COMS IN THE COCKPIT OCCURRED AND VERY POOR COMS OCCURRED BTWN HOU APCH CTL AND HOU TWR.

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.