Narrative:

We were given a heading of 350 degrees. We did not hear from approach control as we were about to cross the localizer for runway 26L. The captain tried to prompt approach control to turn us inbound, but was unable to get radio contact. He then told me to turn inbound and he switched to tower frequency. I disengaged the autoplt to roll the aircraft to 35 degrees bank in order to avoid crossing the traffic on the runway 27R localizer. As I was looking outside for possible conflicting traffic, I descended, inadvertently, to 4700' form 5000'. I shallowed the bank angle and corrected back to my clearance altitude of 5000'. The captain received a frequency for approach control from the tower. We were revectored around to intercept the localizer and landed west/O further incident. I think this could have been avoided if approach control would give clearance to intercept when he gave us the base heading. It was a funny feeling to have lost radio contact while going through a localizer for one runway while heading toward aircraft intercepting a localizer for another runway straight in front of us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK DEVIATION AS ACFT CROSSED LOCALIZER FOR ATL RWY 26L. IN THE TURN THE ACFT LOST 300'.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 350 DEGS. WE DID NOT HEAR FROM APCH CTL AS WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS THE LOC FOR RWY 26L. THE CAPT TRIED TO PROMPT APCH CTL TO TURN US INBND, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET RADIO CONTACT. HE THEN TOLD ME TO TURN INBND AND HE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT TO ROLL THE ACFT TO 35 DEGS BANK IN ORDER TO AVOID XING THE TFC ON THE RWY 27R LOC. AS I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR POSSIBLE CONFLICTING TFC, I DSNDED, INADVERTENTLY, TO 4700' FORM 5000'. I SHALLOWED THE BANK ANGLE AND CORRECTED BACK TO MY CLRNC ALT OF 5000'. THE CAPT RECEIVED A FREQ FOR APCH CTL FROM THE TWR. WE WERE REVECTORED AROUND TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I THINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF APCH CTL WOULD GIVE CLRNC TO INTERCEPT WHEN HE GAVE US THE BASE HDG. IT WAS A FUNNY FEELING TO HAVE LOST RADIO CONTACT WHILE GOING THROUGH A LOC FOR ONE RWY WHILE HDG TOWARD ACFT INTERCEPTING A LOC FOR ANOTHER RWY STRAIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

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.