Narrative:

During training of a crew in simulation the captain who was taking training had a pager (beeper) on and active during the training. While being vectored to the localizer approach at long beach ( I as the instructor had failed the GS) and while outside the OM the captain's beeper or pager went off with an audible series of beeps similar to the marker itself. While still 3-5 mi outside the marker the captain started a descent to MDA and then continued below to final crash several mi short of the airport. When I asked what had happened, the captain said that 'he thought that the beeper was the OM' and just started down. I can foresee this as a potential problem in the real aircraft as a crew may have these misgivings with all the pagers worn by corporate pilots in this day and age.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMULATOR TRAINING. CAPT'S PAGER SOUNDS BEEP SIMILAR TO MARKER BEACON. CREW STARTS DSCNT TOO SOON.

Narrative: DURING TRAINING OF A CREW IN SIMULATION THE CAPT WHO WAS TAKING TRAINING HAD A PAGER (BEEPER) ON AND ACTIVE DURING THE TRAINING. WHILE BEING VECTORED TO THE LOC APCH AT LONG BEACH ( I AS THE INSTRUCTOR HAD FAILED THE GS) AND WHILE OUTSIDE THE OM THE CAPT'S BEEPER OR PAGER WENT OFF WITH AN AUDIBLE SERIES OF BEEPS SIMILAR TO THE MARKER ITSELF. WHILE STILL 3-5 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER THE CAPT STARTED A DSCNT TO MDA AND THEN CONTINUED BELOW TO FINAL CRASH SEVERAL MI SHORT OF THE ARPT. WHEN I ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THE CAPT SAID THAT 'HE THOUGHT THAT THE BEEPER WAS THE OM' AND JUST STARTED DOWN. I CAN FORESEE THIS AS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM IN THE REAL ACFT AS A CREW MAY HAVE THESE MISGIVINGS WITH ALL THE PAGERS WORN BY CORPORATE PLTS IN THIS DAY AND AGE.

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.