Narrative:

We operated flight from islip to boston and on approach to boston ILS runway 22L had to miss the approach of 600' MSL on G/south when both of our localizer needles became erratic with first an unsteady partial side to side motion, then a worsening full scale left to full scale right deflection which continued several cycles as we initiated our missed approach. Preceeding us on the approach was an widebody transport aircraft who I recall was given to us as an advisory being 4 mi ahead on the ILS 22L. Upon missing the approach and reporting with tower we were asked to climb to 3000' and turn right to a 330 degree heading. Shortly after we switched to departure who inquired as to why we executed a missed approach. We reported an unreliable localizer signal was received at 600' MSL and no more mention was made. We were then vectored for a 'successful' uneventful ILS 4R approach with 'dead on' localizer and G/south indications and idents. By the way, upon our 'miss' all other aircraft were given the ILS 4R. 15 mins after landing I was in contact with chief pilot and his comment was that ATC had probably 'switched the approach to 4R' too early as it had happened to him in the past! I was outraged by this possible cause to the problem and upon first reaching a telephone made 3 separate calls to boston tower and was unable to get through to speak with boston tower. Initially I thought possibly some aircraft or veh on the ground had interfered with our localizer signal as I've see too many times in my nearly 7 yrs at this airline. Either way I consider that our equipment proved to be fine and either ATC or ground equipment to be at fault. I am not sure who I heard, but just prior to our 'miss' someone on tower frequency commented 'we are just going to hold our position here.' I have no way of knowing if this affected our flight or not. I am however thoroughly disgusted with the constant ongoing ATC overload problems and antiquated government equipment and attitude of not doing a damn thing to increase the safety of flight until a situation occurs as did in lax. If you have the technology and care do something please.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRATIC LOCALIZER NEEDLE INDICATIONS AT 600' MSL ON APCH TO RWY 22L AT BOS CAUSED FLT CREW TO MAKE MAP. VECTORED TO RWY 4R ILS HAD NORMAL APCH AND LNDG.

Narrative: WE OPERATED FLT FROM ISLIP TO BOSTON AND ON APCH TO BOSTON ILS RWY 22L HAD TO MISS THE APCH OF 600' MSL ON G/S WHEN BOTH OF OUR LOC NEEDLES BECAME ERRATIC WITH FIRST AN UNSTEADY PARTIAL SIDE TO SIDE MOTION, THEN A WORSENING FULL SCALE L TO FULL SCALE R DEFLECTION WHICH CONTINUED SEVERAL CYCLES AS WE INITIATED OUR MISSED APCH. PRECEEDING US ON THE APCH WAS AN WDB ACFT WHO I RECALL WAS GIVEN TO US AS AN ADVISORY BEING 4 MI AHEAD ON THE ILS 22L. UPON MISSING THE APCH AND RPTING WITH TWR WE WERE ASKED TO CLB TO 3000' AND TURN R TO A 330 DEG HDG. SHORTLY AFTER WE SWITCHED TO DEP WHO INQUIRED AS TO WHY WE EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. WE RPTED AN UNRELIABLE LOC SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED AT 600' MSL AND NO MORE MENTION WAS MADE. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FOR A 'SUCCESSFUL' UNEVENTFUL ILS 4R APCH WITH 'DEAD ON' LOC AND G/S INDICATIONS AND IDENTS. BY THE WAY, UPON OUR 'MISS' ALL OTHER ACFT WERE GIVEN THE ILS 4R. 15 MINS AFTER LNDG I WAS IN CONTACT WITH CHIEF PLT AND HIS COMMENT WAS THAT ATC HAD PROBABLY 'SWITCHED THE APCH TO 4R' TOO EARLY AS IT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM IN THE PAST! I WAS OUTRAGED BY THIS POSSIBLE CAUSE TO THE PROB AND UPON FIRST REACHING A TELEPHONE MADE 3 SEPARATE CALLS TO BOSTON TWR AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THROUGH TO SPEAK WITH BOSTON TWR. INITIALLY I THOUGHT POSSIBLY SOME ACFT OR VEH ON THE GND HAD INTERFERED WITH OUR LOC SIGNAL AS I'VE SEE TOO MANY TIMES IN MY NEARLY 7 YRS AT THIS AIRLINE. EITHER WAY I CONSIDER THAT OUR EQUIP PROVED TO BE FINE AND EITHER ATC OR GND EQUIP TO BE AT FAULT. I AM NOT SURE WHO I HEARD, BUT JUST PRIOR TO OUR 'MISS' SOMEONE ON TWR FREQ COMMENTED 'WE ARE JUST GOING TO HOLD OUR POS HERE.' I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THIS AFFECTED OUR FLT OR NOT. I AM HOWEVER THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED WITH THE CONSTANT ONGOING ATC OVERLOAD PROBS AND ANTIQUATED GOVERNMENT EQUIP AND ATTITUDE OF NOT DOING A DAMN THING TO INCREASE THE SAFETY OF FLT UNTIL A SITUATION OCCURS AS DID IN LAX. IF YOU HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY AND CARE DO SOMETHING PLEASE.

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.