Narrative:

Cle WX obs 1000' overcast, 2 mi fog, haze, drizzle. Localizer only approach 23L (runway closed), side step to 23R. We are accustomed to ILS approachs and were very conservative in setting up this non-precision. Everything was idented, programmed, checklists completed and fully configured at the final approach fix. At that point, just as we were about to start down the autoplt tripped off, the flight director retracted from view, and the autothrottles went to climb power with resulting pitch up. It was my leg and I am new to this model. I am used to flying the old fashioned way, so I just turned everything off and flew the approach to a landing west/O any concern. The captain has been high tech for 4 yrs and never quite caught up to the aircraft, trying to get back flight director, etc. Turning off the runway I went to change over to ground and saw approach control's frequency in #1 communication. Captain had never switched to tower. Once at the gate we phoned tower and they were kind enough to say, 'you did see the green light we shot you, didn't you?' this computer stuff is neat, but when it malfunctions it is more detrimental than never having it in the first place. It does not fail and turn into a neutral, it becomes a negative. These aircraft medium large transport advanced type track a computer generated course beautifully but we seem to get a lot of localizer oscillation on ground based localizer frequencys (with autoplt on localizer if it is turned to heading the oscillations stop). (This may have been the autoplt's problem.) program the box and never give it a second look below 10000'. Monitor and keep track of your position with relation to ground based navaids.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LANDED AT CLE WITHOUT MAKING RADIO CALL TO TWR. TWR USED SIGNAL LIGHT CTL.

Narrative: CLE WX OBS 1000' OVCST, 2 MI FOG, HAZE, DRIZZLE. LOC ONLY APCH 23L (RWY CLOSED), SIDE STEP TO 23R. WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO ILS APCHS AND WERE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN SETTING UP THIS NON-PRECISION. EVERYTHING WAS IDENTED, PROGRAMMED, CHKLISTS COMPLETED AND FULLY CONFIGURED AT THE FINAL APCH FIX. AT THAT POINT, JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO START DOWN THE AUTOPLT TRIPPED OFF, THE FLT DIRECTOR RETRACTED FROM VIEW, AND THE AUTOTHROTTLES WENT TO CLB PWR WITH RESULTING PITCH UP. IT WAS MY LEG AND I AM NEW TO THIS MODEL. I AM USED TO FLYING THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, SO I JUST TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AND FLEW THE APCH TO A LNDG W/O ANY CONCERN. THE CAPT HAS BEEN HIGH TECH FOR 4 YRS AND NEVER QUITE CAUGHT UP TO THE ACFT, TRYING TO GET BACK FLT DIRECTOR, ETC. TURNING OFF THE RWY I WENT TO CHANGE OVER TO GND AND SAW APCH CTL'S FREQ IN #1 COM. CAPT HAD NEVER SWITCHED TO TWR. ONCE AT THE GATE WE PHONED TWR AND THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO SAY, 'YOU DID SEE THE GREEN LIGHT WE SHOT YOU, DIDN'T YOU?' THIS COMPUTER STUFF IS NEAT, BUT WHEN IT MALFUNCTIONS IT IS MORE DETRIMENTAL THAN NEVER HAVING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT DOES NOT FAIL AND TURN INTO A NEUTRAL, IT BECOMES A NEGATIVE. THESE ACFT MLG ADVANCED TYPE TRACK A COMPUTER GENERATED COURSE BEAUTIFULLY BUT WE SEEM TO GET A LOT OF LOC OSCILLATION ON GND BASED LOC FREQS (WITH AUTOPLT ON LOC IF IT IS TURNED TO HDG THE OSCILLATIONS STOP). (THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE AUTOPLT'S PROB.) PROGRAM THE BOX AND NEVER GIVE IT A SECOND LOOK BELOW 10000'. MONITOR AND KEEP TRACK OF YOUR POS WITH RELATION TO GND BASED NAVAIDS.

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.