Narrative:

First officer was flying the aircraft this leg. He has been returned to flying very recently after having been on medical leave for over 6 yrs. I don't think he has more than 50 hours on line operation, but that is an estimate. Atl approach issued a turn to 270 degrees (from our previously established 200 degree heading) and to maintain 5000 ft and cleared for the ILS (or visual) approach. I had seen traffic at our 12 O'clock position and was keeping my eye on him since we were closing quickly. Initially I thought we were following him to 26R. He was going to 27R or left. It did not seem peculiar, nor was I suspicious that something was amiss until I heard the altitude alerter warning. (ATC had told us to maintain 5000 ft until established.) then I realized my first officer had failed to turn from 200 degrees to 270 degrees, failed to intercept the localizer, and failed to level off at 5000 ft! The traffic I was watching was established on a localizer to a different runway. On our 200 degree heading, we were closing and I was concerned about establishing spacing in sequence. This entire incident probably didn't take 20 seconds. Had my first officer just leveled at 5000 ft and established a turn, I would have noticed that we were not to follow the traffic -- we were supposed to parallel them. I haven't got any idea what the first officer was doing. He has been out of the system so long that these situations overloaded him. I should have known better, but I can't always do it all -- level off, turn and intercept, all simultaneously, with traffic 12 O'clock and 2 mi (or 1 1/2 mi) is a lot to do. That's why there are 2 of us. Suddenly, however, I felt all alone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK ALTDEV DURING IAP ILS APCH. ALT OVERSHOT IN DSCNT. POTENTIAL CONFLICT LTSS.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT THIS LEG. HE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO FLYING VERY RECENTLY AFTER HAVING BEEN ON MEDICAL LEAVE FOR OVER 6 YRS. I DON'T THINK HE HAS MORE THAN 50 HRS ON LINE OP, BUT THAT IS AN ESTIMATE. ATL APCH ISSUED A TURN TO 270 DEGS (FROM OUR PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED 200 DEG HDG) AND TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT AND CLRED FOR THE ILS (OR VISUAL) APCH. I HAD SEEN TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS AND WAS KEEPING MY EYE ON HIM SINCE WE WERE CLOSING QUICKLY. INITIALLY I THOUGHT WE WERE FOLLOWING HIM TO 26R. HE WAS GOING TO 27R OR L. IT DID NOT SEEM PECULIAR, NOR WAS I SUSPICIOUS THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS UNTIL I HEARD THE ALT ALERTER WARNING. (ATC HAD TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED.) THEN I REALIZED MY FO HAD FAILED TO TURN FROM 200 DEGS TO 270 DEGS, FAILED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC, AND FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT! THE TFC I WAS WATCHING WAS ESTABLISHED ON A LOC TO A DIFFERENT RWY. ON OUR 200 DEG HDG, WE WERE CLOSING AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ESTABLISHING SPACING IN SEQUENCE. THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT PROBABLY DIDN'T TAKE 20 SECONDS. HAD MY FO JUST LEVELED AT 5000 FT AND ESTABLISHED A TURN, I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT WE WERE NOT TO FOLLOW THE TFC -- WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PARALLEL THEM. I HAVEN'T GOT ANY IDEA WHAT THE FO WAS DOING. HE HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SYS SO LONG THAT THESE SITUATIONS OVERLOADED HIM. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER, BUT I CAN'T ALWAYS DO IT ALL -- LEVEL OFF, TURN AND INTERCEPT, ALL SIMULTANEOUSLY, WITH TFC 12 O'CLOCK AND 2 MI (OR 1 1/2 MI) IS A LOT TO DO. THAT'S WHY THERE ARE 2 OF US. SUDDENLY, HOWEVER, I FELT ALL ALONE.

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.