Air carrier tuned to and aligned with wrong (parallel) ILS.

Attributes
ACN	202324
Time
Date	199202
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4100
ASRS Report	202324
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was being vectored for ILS 3R dtw. I (first officer) was tuned to VOR to provide DME fixes on approach. When we were cleared for the approach, I specifically looked at captain's radio to ensure he was tuned to proper frequency. His hand was on the autoplt which had the frequency. I did not see frequency. When he lifted his hand I noticed he was on the parallel runway frequency ILS. At the same time, the localizer course became active and approach control advised we were aligned with wrong runway. We got vector back to proper runway. This could have been prevented if I could have listened to ILS identify. But, all this happened in a short time period and during this time I had to make communication, extend gear and flaps and set altitude alerter. Obviously the captain as PF should have ensured proper frequency by verifying frequency on chart and listen to identify.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TUNED TO AND ALIGNED WITH WRONG (PARALLEL) ILS.

Narrative: FLT WAS BEING VECTORED FOR ILS 3R DTW. I (FO) WAS TUNED TO VOR TO PROVIDE DME FIXES ON APCH. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH, I SPECIFICALLY LOOKED AT CAPT'S RADIO TO ENSURE HE WAS TUNED TO PROPER FREQ. HIS HAND WAS ON THE AUTOPLT WHICH HAD THE FREQ. I DID NOT SEE FREQ. WHEN HE LIFTED HIS HAND I NOTICED HE WAS ON THE PARALLEL RWY FREQ ILS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE LOC COURSE BECAME ACTIVE AND APCH CTL ADVISED WE WERE ALIGNED WITH WRONG RWY. WE GOT VECTOR BACK TO PROPER RWY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I COULD HAVE LISTENED TO ILS IDENT. BUT, ALL THIS HAPPENED IN A SHORT TIME PERIOD AND DURING THIS TIME I HAD TO MAKE COM, EXTEND GEAR AND FLAPS AND SET ALT ALERTER. OBVIOUSLY THE CAPT AS PF SHOULD HAVE ENSURED PROPER FREQ BY VERIFYING FREQ ON CHART AND LISTEN TO IDENT.

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.