Narrative:

Today from fnt, cleared for visual approach for runway 24R from 6000 ft approximately 12 NM north/northeast of day VOR. First officer was flying and I saw what I thought was day but was in fact ffo. First officer had his VOR equipment tuned to the 24R localizer (111.9 west/239 degree selected). We had arrived from over rod and at the time of the approach clearance were on 170 degree assigned heading. This heading looked very good for entry to short final at what we thought was day. Descending through 4000 ft with a 700 FPM descent rate we got a TCAS TA of 'traffic, traffic' with associated yellow circle at 5 mi ring (10 mi ring selected) followed very closely by a red square and an RA of 'climb, climb, climb.' I visually acquired the target which was an small transport in a descending left turn to final on 24L at day. The first officer responded to the RA, which included a red vvi with green area at approximately 2500 ft up, by initially stopping the descent, then initiating a gradual climb. Simultaneously I pushed forward on the yoke to stop his climb (since I saw the target) and the TCAS RA became 'descend, descend, descend', quickly followed by 'monitor vertical speed', quickly followed by 'climb, climb now' to which the first officer continued to attempt to climb while I told him I had the traffic. Shortly thereafter the TCAS went 'clear of conflict.' the small transport passed well under us and in front. Realizing that day was landing on both 24 right and left, our true position was immediately apparent. The visibility was 8 mi, however, slight haze made visibility to the west less than other compass points. Some observations: we flew through the 24R localizer and conflicted with the 24L traffic. While the TCAS event was in progress, and it started well north of the 24R localizer since we were 70 degree intercept from the north side we were distraction visually and aurally by the RA and did not see the course selected pass on the HSI nor did we hear the approach controller calling. From our angle of approach to final, ffo looks like dayton's north side (large ramps on runway); the alerts given by the TCAS seemed incongruent in that the first was 'climb' followed by 'descend' the back to 'climb'. The illuminated vvi was intimidating, we were totally preoccupied with the 'climb, climb, now' alert; it doesn't take long to travel from the 24R to the 24L localizer on a heading of 170 degree at 210 KTS; why is there no 'terminal' VOR at a facility such as day? This would have precluded my field identify error; when you are certain you've idented the target on an RA, the continued fever pitch warnings only confuse and distract.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HDG DEV WHILE ON A VECTOR FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R AT DAY.

Narrative: TODAY FROM FNT, CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 24R FROM 6000 FT APPROX 12 NM N/NE OF DAY VOR. FO WAS FLYING AND I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS DAY BUT WAS IN FACT FFO. FO HAD HIS VOR EQUIP TUNED TO THE 24R LOC (111.9 W/239 DEG SELECTED). WE HAD ARRIVED FROM OVER ROD AND AT THE TIME OF THE APCH CLRNC WERE ON 170 DEG ASSIGNED HDG. THIS HDG LOOKED VERY GOOD FOR ENTRY TO SHORT FINAL AT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS DAY. DSNDING THROUGH 4000 FT WITH A 700 FPM DSCNT RATE WE GOT A TCAS TA OF 'TFC, TFC' WITH ASSOCIATED YELLOW CIRCLE AT 5 MI RING (10 MI RING SELECTED) FOLLOWED VERY CLOSELY BY A RED SQUARE AND AN RA OF 'CLB, CLB, CLB.' I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE TARGET WHICH WAS AN SMT IN A DSNDING L TURN TO FINAL ON 24L AT DAY. THE FO RESPONDED TO THE RA, WHICH INCLUDED A RED VVI WITH GREEN AREA AT APPROX 2500 FT UP, BY INITIALLY STOPPING THE DSCNT, THEN INITIATING A GRADUAL CLB. SIMULTANEOUSLY I PUSHED FORWARD ON THE YOKE TO STOP HIS CLB (SINCE I SAW THE TARGET) AND THE TCAS RA BECAME 'DSND, DSND, DSND', QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY 'MONITOR VERT SPD', QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY 'CLB, CLB NOW' TO WHICH THE FO CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT TO CLB WHILE I TOLD HIM I HAD THE TFC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE TCAS WENT 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' THE SMT PASSED WELL UNDER US AND IN FRONT. REALIZING THAT DAY WAS LNDG ON BOTH 24 R AND L, OUR TRUE POS WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT. THE VISIBILITY WAS 8 MI, HOWEVER, SLIGHT HAZE MADE VISIBILITY TO THE W LESS THAN OTHER COMPASS POINTS. SOME OBSERVATIONS: WE FLEW THROUGH THE 24R LOC AND CONFLICTED WITH THE 24L TFC. WHILE THE TCAS EVENT WAS IN PROGRESS, AND IT STARTED WELL N OF THE 24R LOC SINCE WE WERE 70 DEG INTERCEPT FROM THE N SIDE WE WERE DISTR VISUALLY AND AURALLY BY THE RA AND DID NOT SEE THE COURSE SELECTED PASS ON THE HSI NOR DID WE HEAR THE APCH CTLR CALLING. FROM OUR ANGLE OF APCH TO FINAL, FFO LOOKS LIKE DAYTON'S N SIDE (LARGE RAMPS ON RWY); THE ALERTS GIVEN BY THE TCAS SEEMED INCONGRUENT IN THAT THE FIRST WAS 'CLB' FOLLOWED BY 'DSND' THE BACK TO 'CLB'. THE ILLUMINATED VVI WAS INTIMIDATING, WE WERE TOTALLY PREOCCUPIED WITH THE 'CLB, CLB, NOW' ALERT; IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO TRAVEL FROM THE 24R TO THE 24L LOC ON A HDG OF 170 DEG AT 210 KTS; WHY IS THERE NO 'TERMINAL' VOR AT A FACILITY SUCH AS DAY? THIS WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED MY FIELD IDENT ERROR; WHEN YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU'VE IDENTED THE TARGET ON AN RA, THE CONTINUED FEVER PITCH WARNINGS ONLY CONFUSE AND DISTRACT.

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.