Narrative:

I was getting my first chkout flight in an light transport that a local FBO was considering putting on line. I told the current owner/check pilot my background and pointed out that in addition to very little experience in twins, I had never flown a type a or type B. I also pointed out that since being hired by a major airline I had not flown much and was not current on either multi lndgs or IFR. He was a multi CFI and current IFR so we would be legal. The WX was marginal. After system and procedures review, we headed out VFR. The WX in the valley had deteriorated and we were only able to get about 3000' MSL (1000' AGL) and maintain legal cloud sep. We decided to call geg approach and see if we could get an IFR climb and then an ILS approach to coe. I was flying and the instrument was running the radios. He was not familiar with the area, so I was giving him chkpoints. I was planning to use my headset, but he didn't have one and talked me into using the speakers instead, so I was having a little trouble hearing all of both sides of the conversation. Geg approach gave us a heading, climb to 5000' maintain VFR. We said unable to needed an IFR climb. I suspect the controller sensed the unfamiliarity in the instrument's voice and assumed we were trapped and 'needed' an IFR climb. Controller asked if we could maintain visibility on the terrain to 5000' because we were below his minimum vectoring altitude. We couldn't and headed back toward sff VFR underneath. The controller said we were cleared direct coe, at or above 5000' terrain sep our responsibility. After confirming this was an IFR clearance, and knowing from my position visually we had a straight shot down the middle of the valley to coe, I said we could do that. Once reaching 5000' we got a rapid fire series of vectors to altitudes, getting new readings and altitudes often before establishing the previous. We were getting a little ice so I was looking for then asking for propeller and window heat. I was reaching saturation as I tuned the ILS and flew nonstop vectors. I got a heading about 70 degree off the localizer and missed the last part of that transmission. What the instrument later said he heard was our heading 70 degree intercept and join the localizer at or above 5000'. I missed the 'to join' and expected another vector. I'd been on this heading less than 30 seconds, and the localizer needle was at the bottom of the HSI. We had already gone through it. I started a turn just as approach came unglued. Got it captured a little high, but threw everything out and made it down just fine. After landing, coe tower gave us the classic 'spokane approach supervisor would like you to call'. I think the headset would have helped me keep in the loop a little better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT TRACK DEVIATION DURING RADAR VECTORS TO LOCALIZER AT COE.

Narrative: I WAS GETTING MY FIRST CHKOUT FLT IN AN LTT THAT A LCL FBO WAS CONSIDERING PUTTING ON LINE. I TOLD THE CURRENT OWNER/CHK PLT MY BACKGROUND AND POINTED OUT THAT IN ADDITION TO VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN TWINS, I HAD NEVER FLOWN A TYPE A OR TYPE B. I ALSO POINTED OUT THAT SINCE BEING HIRED BY A MAJOR AIRLINE I HAD NOT FLOWN MUCH AND WAS NOT CURRENT ON EITHER MULTI LNDGS OR IFR. HE WAS A MULTI CFI AND CURRENT IFR SO WE WOULD BE LEGAL. THE WX WAS MARGINAL. AFTER SYS AND PROCS REVIEW, WE HEADED OUT VFR. THE WX IN THE VALLEY HAD DETERIORATED AND WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO GET ABOUT 3000' MSL (1000' AGL) AND MAINTAIN LEGAL CLOUD SEP. WE DECIDED TO CALL GEG APCH AND SEE IF WE COULD GET AN IFR CLB AND THEN AN ILS APCH TO COE. I WAS FLYING AND THE INSTR WAS RUNNING THE RADIOS. HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, SO I WAS GIVING HIM CHKPOINTS. I WAS PLANNING TO USE MY HEADSET, BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE ONE AND TALKED ME INTO USING THE SPEAKERS INSTEAD, SO I WAS HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE HEARING ALL OF BOTH SIDES OF THE CONVERSATION. GEG APCH GAVE US A HDG, CLB TO 5000' MAINTAIN VFR. WE SAID UNABLE TO NEEDED AN IFR CLB. I SUSPECT THE CTLR SENSED THE UNFAMILIARITY IN THE INSTR'S VOICE AND ASSUMED WE WERE TRAPPED AND 'NEEDED' AN IFR CLB. CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD MAINTAIN VIS ON THE TERRAIN TO 5000' BECAUSE WE WERE BELOW HIS MINIMUM VECTORING ALT. WE COULDN'T AND HEADED BACK TOWARD SFF VFR UNDERNEATH. THE CTLR SAID WE WERE CLRED DIRECT COE, AT OR ABOVE 5000' TERRAIN SEP OUR RESPONSIBILITY. AFTER CONFIRMING THIS WAS AN IFR CLRNC, AND KNOWING FROM MY POS VISUALLY WE HAD A STRAIGHT SHOT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE VALLEY TO COE, I SAID WE COULD DO THAT. ONCE REACHING 5000' WE GOT A RAPID FIRE SERIES OF VECTORS TO ALTS, GETTING NEW READINGS AND ALTS OFTEN BEFORE ESTABLISHING THE PREVIOUS. WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE ICE SO I WAS LOOKING FOR THEN ASKING FOR PROP AND WINDOW HEAT. I WAS REACHING SATURATION AS I TUNED THE ILS AND FLEW NONSTOP VECTORS. I GOT A HDG ABOUT 70 DEG OFF THE LOC AND MISSED THE LAST PART OF THAT XMISSION. WHAT THE INSTR LATER SAID HE HEARD WAS OUR HDG 70 DEG INTERCEPT AND JOIN THE LOC AT OR ABOVE 5000'. I MISSED THE 'TO JOIN' AND EXPECTED ANOTHER VECTOR. I'D BEEN ON THIS HDG LESS THAN 30 SECS, AND THE LOC NEEDLE WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HSI. WE HAD ALREADY GONE THROUGH IT. I STARTED A TURN JUST AS APCH CAME UNGLUED. GOT IT CAPTURED A LITTLE HIGH, BUT THREW EVERYTHING OUT AND MADE IT DOWN JUST FINE. AFTER LNDG, COE TWR GAVE US THE CLASSIC 'SPOKANE APCH SUPVR WOULD LIKE YOU TO CALL'. I THINK THE HEADSET WOULD HAVE HELPED ME KEEP IN THE LOOP A LITTLE BETTER.

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.