Narrative:

While on approach to dusseldorf, germany, we were given a heading to intercept the localizer for runway 23. All checklist were complete and radios tuned and indentifed. Localizer appeared to intercept normally. After intercept the autoplt was turning the airplane left and right to hold the localizer but did not appear to be stable. Also the captain's flight director showed no G/south needle. Suspecting a malfunction of some sort I switched off the autoplt to hand fly the approach. My G/south needle appeared to come up normal and we were cleared for the approach. I descended on my G/south indication and by that time the captain's G/south needle appeared and was in agreement with mine. After descending on approach in the limited visibility to what appeared to be our destination airport dusseldorf approach called us to break off the approach. Our localizer was leading us to a similar military airport that had an identical runway. We were at 2500' and I climbed back up to 3000'. We shut off our F/D's and then turned them on again to reintercept the localizer. Dusseldorf gave us another intercept heading and the rest of the approach was normal. To our knowledge no traffic conflicts occurred and maintenance could not immediately find a problem with our equipment. This problem has occurred before at certain other airports. No explanation for it at this time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reference to other similar problems was not isolated to this type aircraft and was just a random reference to other complaints the reporter has heard about from other pilots. Reporter said that there was heavy construction in progress at the approach end of runway 23 at the time of this incident. This is probably the cause of the localizer swing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB WRONG ARPT APCH AT DUS.

Narrative: WHILE ON APCH TO DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 23. ALL CHKLIST WERE COMPLETE AND RADIOS TUNED AND INDENTIFED. LOC APPEARED TO INTERCEPT NORMALLY. AFTER INTERCEPT THE AUTOPLT WAS TURNING THE AIRPLANE L AND R TO HOLD THE LOC BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE STABLE. ALSO THE CAPT'S FLT DIRECTOR SHOWED NO G/S NEEDLE. SUSPECTING A MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT I SWITCHED OFF THE AUTOPLT TO HAND FLY THE APCH. MY G/S NEEDLE APPEARED TO COME UP NORMAL AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. I DSNDED ON MY G/S INDICATION AND BY THAT TIME THE CAPT'S G/S NEEDLE APPEARED AND WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH MINE. AFTER DSNDING ON APCH IN THE LIMITED VISIBILITY TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE OUR DEST ARPT DUSSELDORF APCH CALLED US TO BREAK OFF THE APCH. OUR LOC WAS LEADING US TO A SIMILAR MIL ARPT THAT HAD AN IDENTICAL RWY. WE WERE AT 2500' AND I CLBED BACK UP TO 3000'. WE SHUT OFF OUR F/D'S AND THEN TURNED THEM ON AGAIN TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC. DUSSELDORF GAVE US ANOTHER INTERCEPT HDG AND THE REST OF THE APCH WAS NORMAL. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE NO TFC CONFLICTS OCCURRED AND MAINT COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY FIND A PROB WITH OUR EQUIP. THIS PROB HAS OCCURRED BEFORE AT CERTAIN OTHER ARPTS. NO EXPLANATION FOR IT AT THIS TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE REFERENCE TO OTHER SIMILAR PROBS WAS NOT ISOLATED TO THIS TYPE ACFT AND WAS JUST A RANDOM REFERENCE TO OTHER COMPLAINTS THE RPTR HAS HEARD ABOUT FROM OTHER PLTS. RPTR SAID THAT THERE WAS HVY CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS AT THE APCH END OF RWY 23 AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. THIS IS PROBABLY THE CAUSE OF THE LOC SWING.

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.