Narrative:

When arriving in range ft myers area we asked for a heading from approach control to avoid WX. I was asked what our heading was, we said 180 degree. The controller said we were tracking 240 degree. We checked all heading reference in aircraft including magnetic compass. Everything checked 180 degree. At this time we were given headings that did not appear was going to get us to the localizer for runway 6. We asked the controller if we could proceed to the OM and make the approach on our own. He cleared us for an ILS approach to runway 6. When we arrived over muffe (the OM) at 1600' there was a break in the clouds and I saw the airport. At this point the controller told us to pull up to 16000' turn right to 240 degree that we were not lined up with the runway 6. We set up the ft myers VOR and gave him our radial and distance from the VOR. He advised us that we were not where we thought we were. It appeared that we were 90 degree in relation to where he said we were. At this point the controller advised us that he thought something in our aircraft was realy screwed up and this would be a vector for a no gyro approach. I decided to try it his ay to a point and try and figure out what was screwed up. He gave us headings and said we were into the runway 6 localizer and cleared for an ILS approach to runway 6. I told him that this did not correspond with anything that we were showing in the aircraft. I told him to continue with the gyro approach, and decided not to let down until we had the airport in sight. When we were told the airport was at 12:00 we saw the airport, only problem the runway was 90 degree to our track. I told the controller at this point that this was the most screwed up vector that I had ever seen, we had the airport in sight and was going to make a turn and do a visibility to runway 6 on our own. He kept asking us if we had the airport in sight, we kept telling him yes. When on final approach to runway 6 he told us to pull up and make a missed approach, that what we were looking at was a highway. At this point I ignored him and landed the aircraft on runway 6. All navigation equipment in the aircraft was tuned and idented VOR, localizer, OM and also the FMC was set up on runway 6, so we knew where we were. I went in operations and called the controller. He told me that he thought the display on his scope had slipped 90 degree which seem to correspond with what we were seeing in the aircraft. He advised us that he had shut down the radar and called maintenance. The next morning we found out that the radar had been shut down fixed and recertified. If we had been in any place except flat land I would have gone to an alternate. In mountainous terrain this could have been a real problem! The facility needs some way to periodically check the radar to be assured that the radar is aligned correctly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states there was a tropical depression in the area with thunderstorms and winds of 40 KTS. Problem seems to be an electrical wire that was being moved by maintenance and left for the day until they could work on it the following day. Reporter also mentioned there was a problem in the control box. Reporter received a letter from the FAA outlining what occurred and that plans were underway to prevent future occurrence. Incident occurred after tower closed. Pilot did not want to go to alternate airport due to WX. After the reporter decided to disregard ATC instructions and make approach on his own, approach controller got excited and looked out the window to verify where he was. Only after seeing the aircraft properly lined up on final did he realize the problem was the radar system. Discussion with the controller after landing revealed that the controller did not have a high opinion of maintenance. Supplemental information from acn 159879. This was the most dangerous situation I have ever experienced between aircraft and ATC. We were also informed that the facs were 'poorly' maintained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW WAS BEING VECTORED INTO RSW DURING IMC CONDITIONS WITH APCH CTLS RADAR 90 DEGS OUT OF PHASE.

Narrative: WHEN ARRIVING IN RANGE FT MYERS AREA WE ASKED FOR A HDG FROM APCH CTL TO AVOID WX. I WAS ASKED WHAT OUR HDG WAS, WE SAID 180 DEG. THE CTLR SAID WE WERE TRACKING 240 DEG. WE CHKED ALL HDG REFERENCE IN ACFT INCLUDING MAG COMPASS. EVERYTHING CHKED 180 DEG. AT THIS TIME WE WERE GIVEN HDGS THAT DID NOT APPEAR WAS GOING TO GET US TO THE LOC FOR RWY 6. WE ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD PROCEED TO THE OM AND MAKE THE APCH ON OUR OWN. HE CLRED US FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 6. WHEN WE ARRIVED OVER MUFFE (THE OM) AT 1600' THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AND I SAW THE ARPT. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR TOLD US TO PULL UP TO 16000' TURN R TO 240 DEG THAT WE WERE NOT LINED UP WITH THE RWY 6. WE SET UP THE FT MYERS VOR AND GAVE HIM OUR RADIAL AND DISTANCE FROM THE VOR. HE ADVISED US THAT WE WERE NOT WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE. IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE 90 DEG IN RELATION TO WHERE HE SAID WE WERE. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT HE THOUGHT SOMETHING IN OUR ACFT WAS REALY SCREWED UP AND THIS WOULD BE A VECTOR FOR A NO GYRO APCH. I DECIDED TO TRY IT HIS AY TO A POINT AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS SCREWED UP. HE GAVE US HDGS AND SAID WE WERE INTO THE RWY 6 LOC AND CLRED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 6. I TOLD HIM THAT THIS DID NOT CORRESPOND WITH ANYTHING THAT WE WERE SHOWING IN THE ACFT. I TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE WITH THE GYRO APCH, AND DECIDED NOT TO LET DOWN UNTIL WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WHEN WE WERE TOLD THE ARPT WAS AT 12:00 WE SAW THE ARPT, ONLY PROB THE RWY WAS 90 DEG TO OUR TRACK. I TOLD THE CTLR AT THIS POINT THAT THIS WAS THE MOST SCREWED UP VECTOR THAT I HAD EVER SEEN, WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING TO MAKE A TURN AND DO A VIS TO RWY 6 ON OUR OWN. HE KEPT ASKING US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, WE KEPT TELLING HIM YES. WHEN ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 6 HE TOLD US TO PULL UP AND MAKE A MISSED APCH, THAT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WAS A HWY. AT THIS POINT I IGNORED HIM AND LANDED THE ACFT ON RWY 6. ALL NAV EQUIP IN THE ACFT WAS TUNED AND IDENTED VOR, LOC, OM AND ALSO THE FMC WAS SET UP ON RWY 6, SO WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE. I WENT IN OPS AND CALLED THE CTLR. HE TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT THE DISPLAY ON HIS SCOPE HAD SLIPPED 90 DEG WHICH SEEM TO CORRESPOND WITH WHAT WE WERE SEEING IN THE ACFT. HE ADVISED US THAT HE HAD SHUT DOWN THE RADAR AND CALLED MAINT. THE NEXT MORNING WE FOUND OUT THAT THE RADAR HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN FIXED AND RECERTIFIED. IF WE HAD BEEN IN ANY PLACE EXCEPT FLAT LAND I WOULD HAVE GONE TO AN ALTERNATE. IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL PROB! THE FAC NEEDS SOME WAY TO PERIODICALLY CHK THE RADAR TO BE ASSURED THAT THE RADAR IS ALIGNED CORRECTLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THERE WAS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IN THE AREA WITH TSTMS AND WINDS OF 40 KTS. PROB SEEMS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL WIRE THAT WAS BEING MOVED BY MAINT AND LEFT FOR THE DAY UNTIL THEY COULD WORK ON IT THE FOLLOWING DAY. RPTR ALSO MENTIONED THERE WAS A PROB IN THE CTL BOX. RPTR RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FAA OUTLINING WHAT OCCURRED AND THAT PLANS WERE UNDERWAY TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCE. INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER TWR CLOSED. PLT DID NOT WANT TO GO TO ALTERNATE ARPT DUE TO WX. AFTER THE RPTR DECIDED TO DISREGARD ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND MAKE APCH ON HIS OWN, APCH CTLR GOT EXCITED AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO VERIFY WHERE HE WAS. ONLY AFTER SEEING THE ACFT PROPERLY LINED UP ON FINAL DID HE REALIZE THE PROB WAS THE RADAR SYS. DISCUSSION WITH THE CTLR AFTER LNDG REVEALED THAT THE CTLR DID NOT HAVE A HIGH OPINION OF MAINT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 159879. THIS WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS SITUATION I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED BTWN ACFT AND ATC. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THE FACS WERE 'POORLY' MAINTAINED.

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.