Air carrier advckpt medium large transport flight crew unfamiliar with alb makes a visual approach f...

Attributes
ACN	209716
Time
Date	199204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sch airport : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : alb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	209716
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Upon arrival in the albany, ny, area, approach control began vectoring us for a right downwind entry to runway 19 alb. 6 mi southwest of schenectady airport, we responded to ATC that we did have the field in sight. We were then cleared for the visual approach to runway 19 alb. We set our radios up for the ILS 19 alb approach, and made a descending, visual course reversal to the final approach course. When established on final, we noticed that our course, centerline, and GS were inconsistent with the ILS 19 alb. Approach control noticed our lineup for the schenectady runway and provided radar vectors to alb runway 19. Neither crew member had been into albany before. FMS 'map fail' on medium large transport with both radios set to ILS 19, alb. Raw data for ILS was no help until established on final, after course reversal from downwind. Only then were GS and localizer indications usable for verifying the correct positioning for our visual approach (ADF bearing also helpful only on final). Alb approach vectored us for the alb airport. But their vectors had us in a perfect position for a right downwind for a nearly parallel runway at schenectady. When asked if we had the field in sight, we were looking straightaway at schenectady, alb was 10 mi beyond. Caution should be exercised here, both by flcs and approach control. The 'SOP' of setting both radios to the ILS frequency when vectors for the approach begin, caused our 'map fail' (FMS LNAV) and removed our access to VOR bearing/DME.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ADVCKPT MLG FLC UNFAMILIAR WITH ALB MAKES A VISUAL APCH FROM A DOWNWIND, BUT MISTAKENLY LINES UP WITH THE RWY AT SCH UNTIL CTLR CALLS ERROR TO THEIR ATTN.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN THE ALBANY, NY, AREA, APCH CTL BEGAN VECTORING US FOR A R DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RWY 19 ALB. 6 MI SW OF SCHENECTADY ARPT, WE RESPONDED TO ATC THAT WE DID HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19 ALB. WE SET OUR RADIOS UP FOR THE ILS 19 ALB APCH, AND MADE A DSNDING, VISUAL COURSE REVERSAL TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. WHEN ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, WE NOTICED THAT OUR COURSE, CTRLINE, AND GS WERE INCONSISTENT WITH THE ILS 19 ALB. APCH CTL NOTICED OUR LINEUP FOR THE SCHENECTADY RWY AND PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS TO ALB RWY 19. NEITHER CREW MEMBER HAD BEEN INTO ALBANY BEFORE. FMS 'MAP FAIL' ON MLG WITH BOTH RADIOS SET TO ILS 19, ALB. RAW DATA FOR ILS WAS NO HELP UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, AFTER COURSE REVERSAL FROM DOWNWIND. ONLY THEN WERE GS AND LOC INDICATIONS USABLE FOR VERIFYING THE CORRECT POSITIONING FOR OUR VISUAL APCH (ADF BEARING ALSO HELPFUL ONLY ON FINAL). ALB APCH VECTORED US FOR THE ALB ARPT. BUT THEIR VECTORS HAD US IN A PERFECT POS FOR A R DOWNWIND FOR A NEARLY PARALLEL RWY AT SCHENECTADY. WHEN ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT, WE WERE LOOKING STRAIGHTAWAY AT SCHENECTADY, ALB WAS 10 MI BEYOND. CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED HERE, BOTH BY FLCS AND APCH CTL. THE 'SOP' OF SETTING BOTH RADIOS TO THE ILS FREQ WHEN VECTORS FOR THE APCH BEGIN, CAUSED OUR 'MAP FAIL' (FMS LNAV) AND REMOVED OUR ACCESS TO VOR BEARING/DME.

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.

Air carrier advckpt medium large transport flight crew unfamiliar with alb makes a visual approach from a downwind, but mistakenly lines up with the runway at sch until controller calls error to their attention.