Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation during vectors for ILS approach to sjc.

Attributes
ACN	193828
Time
Date	199111
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	193828
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Coming from the north we were being vectored for an ILS 30L approach at sjc. On base leg we were given a heading to intercept the final approach course. Using only 15 degree angle of bank on the turn we went through the localizer trying to capture it. Once established on the localizer we continued the approach. The WX was very hazy which made identing the airport visually tougher than normal. While trying to find the airport we drifted off the localizer approximately 2 dots but remained on GS. Upon noticing the localizer and correcting back we found the airport and landed with no further incident. The approach was flown sloppy trying to find the airport as in a visual approach vice flying an exact instrument approach, the way it should have been done due to the clearance and the WX. Flying visual approachs the majority of the time into the same airport produces a false and sloppy sense of security when it comes to flying a true precision approach and relying on your instruments.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HDG DEV DURING VECTORS FOR ILS APCH TO SJC.

Narrative: COMING FROM THE N WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS 30L APCH AT SJC. ON BASE LEG WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE. USING ONLY 15 DEG ANGLE OF BANK ON THE TURN WE WENT THROUGH THE LOC TRYING TO CAPTURE IT. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC WE CONTINUED THE APCH. THE WX WAS VERY HAZY WHICH MADE IDENTING THE ARPT VISUALLY TOUGHER THAN NORMAL. WHILE TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT WE DRIFTED OFF THE LOC APPROX 2 DOTS BUT REMAINED ON GS. UPON NOTICING THE LOC AND CORRECTING BACK WE FOUND THE ARPT AND LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. THE APCH WAS FLOWN SLOPPY TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT AS IN A VISUAL APCH VICE FLYING AN EXACT INST APCH, THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DUE TO THE CLRNC AND THE WX. FLYING VISUAL APCHS THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME INTO THE SAME ARPT PRODUCES A FALSE AND SLOPPY SENSE OF SECURITY WHEN IT COMES TO FLYING A TRUE PRECISION APCH AND RELYING ON YOUR INSTS.

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.