Narrative:

Captain announced placing radio selector southwest on FD to navigation 2, which northwest has ILS frequency. I placed flight director mode selector to norm/navigation command bars appeared. Then, once on final 210 heading to intercept ILS, I placed the radio selector southwest to 'app'. When in this mode, VHF navigation 1 receiver supplies radio signals to flight director. UHF nv 2 receiver supplies radio signals to flight director 2, first officer's attitude dir indicator, and captain's radio direction indicator with the southwest in this position, the frequencys of both UHF navigation receivers are controled by the captain's UHF navigation control panel. I did not announce nor did the captain notice I placed selector southwest to 'app'. So essentially, all I was set for was to intercept the 182 radial off of the msn VORTAC, not the ILS, as I had thought autoplt would not couple to this set up. I intercept 182 radial, was cleared for ILS 18 approach said to captain 'no GS information.' captain now noticed problem, switched from 'app' back to radio 2, GS and localizer information reappeared. I was above GS and now left of course. Reintercepted GS and localizer at 2100 ft MSL and became visual at this point. At this point ATC said we were left of localizer course. We acknowledged, said we saw runway 18, and were cleared to land on 18. Landing was normal. Communication as to how radios were being set or positioned was very poor between captain and first officer. Captain positioned radios in way which I did not expect yet acknowledged, but I did not visually verify. Even though proceeding to select 'app' is 'normal', I should have verbally announced my actions. Later I said to captain, 'why did you not tune navigation 1 to msn VORTAC, hold the DME, then place ILS frequency back in navigation 1, as I had originally set it prior to departure from mke?' I should have asked him to do this during the approach briefing. Lesson here is to communicate everything you do and make sure, verify, that each crew member knows exactly the confign of radios for all navigation modes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO RPTING PROTESTS CAPT TUNING OF NAV RADIOS AND SELECTION OF OPERATING MODES.

Narrative: CAPT ANNOUNCED PLACING RADIO SELECTOR SW ON FD TO NAV 2, WHICH NW HAS ILS FREQ. I PLACED FLT DIRECTOR MODE SELECTOR TO NORM/NAV COMMAND BARS APPEARED. THEN, ONCE ON FINAL 210 HDG TO INTERCEPT ILS, I PLACED THE RADIO SELECTOR SW TO 'APP'. WHEN IN THIS MODE, VHF NAV 1 RECEIVER SUPPLIES RADIO SIGNALS TO FLT DIRECTOR. UHF NV 2 RECEIVER SUPPLIES RADIO SIGNALS TO FLT DIRECTOR 2, FO'S ATTITUDE DIR INDICATOR, AND CAPT'S RADIO DIRECTION INDICATOR WITH THE SW IN THIS POS, THE FREQS OF BOTH UHF NAV RECEIVERS ARE CTLED BY THE CAPT'S UHF NAV CTL PANEL. I DID NOT ANNOUNCE NOR DID THE CAPT NOTICE I PLACED SELECTOR SW TO 'APP'. SO ESSENTIALLY, ALL I WAS SET FOR WAS TO INTERCEPT THE 182 RADIAL OFF OF THE MSN VORTAC, NOT THE ILS, AS I HAD THOUGHT AUTOPLT WOULD NOT COUPLE TO THIS SET UP. I INTERCEPT 182 RADIAL, WAS CLRED FOR ILS 18 APCH SAID TO CAPT 'NO GS INFO.' CAPT NOW NOTICED PROBLEM, SWITCHED FROM 'APP' BACK TO RADIO 2, GS AND LOC INFO REAPPEARED. I WAS ABOVE GS AND NOW L OF COURSE. REINTERCEPTED GS AND LOC AT 2100 FT MSL AND BECAME VISUAL AT THIS POINT. AT THIS POINT ATC SAID WE WERE L OF LOC COURSE. WE ACKNOWLEDGED, SAID WE SAW RWY 18, AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON 18. LNDG WAS NORMAL. COM AS TO HOW RADIOS WERE BEING SET OR POSITIONED WAS VERY POOR BTWN CAPT AND FO. CAPT POSITIONED RADIOS IN WAY WHICH I DID NOT EXPECT YET ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT I DID NOT VISUALLY VERIFY. EVEN THOUGH PROCEEDING TO SELECT 'APP' IS 'NORMAL', I SHOULD HAVE VERBALLY ANNOUNCED MY ACTIONS. LATER I SAID TO CAPT, 'WHY DID YOU NOT TUNE NAV 1 TO MSN VORTAC, HOLD THE DME, THEN PLACE ILS FREQ BACK IN NAV 1, AS I HAD ORIGINALLY SET IT PRIOR TO DEP FROM MKE?' I SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIM TO DO THIS DURING THE APCH BRIEFING. LESSON HERE IS TO COMMUNICATE EVERYTHING YOU DO AND MAKE SURE, VERIFY, THAT EACH CREW MEMBER KNOWS EXACTLY THE CONFIGN OF RADIOS FOR ALL NAV MODES.

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.