Narrative:

I was working the radar east position when a small aircraft call sign xx was handed off from ZHU bunki sector. The aircraft checked in at 5000. The aircraft was instructed to proceed direct the btr VOR. 15 mi northwest of the VOR, aircraft was instructed to fly heading 150 degrees, descend and maintain 1800 ft. At 5 mi from the VOR the aircraft was cleared for the VOR runway 4L approach. No response. I kept trying to contact said aircraft. I tried the back up transmitter and had other aircraft attempt contact to no avail. Aircraft traveled 20 mi and flew right over a 1750 ft antenna located 15 mi southwest of baton rouge. The pilot finally keyed up tower frequency and said 'wow, these are big towers.' the local controller asked who had said that and xx responded. The local controller turned the aircraft away from the antennas and climbed the small aircraft to 3000 ft then switched him back to me. When the small aircraft checked back on, I asked if he had the approach plates up for the localizer back course runway 4L approach. He responded he did. Aircraft was then cleared for the localizer back course 4L approach at 5 mi from the final approach fix. The aircraft then flew through the localizer. I asked if he had the localizer tuned in, he said no, he thought it was a VOR approach. The aircraft was then 6 mi from the airport and I asked if he wanted to be vectored back out or if he wanted an ASR approach. The pilot said he wanted the ASR so I gave him the approach and he landed without further incident. The baton rouge TRACON is equipped with ARTS iia which has MSA warning. In this incident, the MSAW did not go off even though the aircraft went within 50 ft right over the top of the antenna. The major concern in this incident is that the aircraft traveled more than 20 mi beyond the final approach course and into the antennas. I think the pilot was inattentive and was extremely lucky this time. I think air taxi operators and all pilots should maintain good listening habits on the radio. Especially when they are in a terminal environment. Both of these problems are major and need to be addressed throughout the system. Enclosed is a btr radar map of aircraft track.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR RPT OF AIR TAXI FLT WHICH DRIFTED SW OF VOR APCH COURSE AND ENCOUNTERED ANTENNAS 50 FT LOWER THAN HIS ALT. CLBED AND VECTORED AWAY, OFFERED LOC BACK COURSE APCH. FLIES THROUGH THE LOC. APCH OFFERS ASR APCH. ACCEPTED. LANDS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR E POS WHEN A SMA CALL SIGN XX WAS HANDED OFF FROM ZHU BUNKI SECTOR. THE ACFT CHKED IN AT 5000. THE ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED DIRECT THE BTR VOR. 15 MI NW OF THE VOR, ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY HDG 150 DEGS, DSND AND MAINTAIN 1800 FT. AT 5 MI FROM THE VOR THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR THE VOR RWY 4L APCH. NO RESPONSE. I KEPT TRYING TO CONTACT SAID ACFT. I TRIED THE BACK UP XMITTER AND HAD OTHER ACFT ATTEMPT CONTACT TO NO AVAIL. ACFT TRAVELED 20 MI AND FLEW R OVER A 1750 FT ANTENNA LOCATED 15 MI SW OF BATON ROUGE. THE PLT FINALLY KEYED UP TWR FREQ AND SAID 'WOW, THESE ARE BIG TWRS.' THE LCL CTLR ASKED WHO HAD SAID THAT AND XX RESPONDED. THE LCL CTLR TURNED THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE ANTENNAS AND CLBED THE SMA TO 3000 FT THEN SWITCHED HIM BACK TO ME. WHEN THE SMA CHKED BACK ON, I ASKED IF HE HAD THE APCH PLATES UP FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 4L APCH. HE RESPONDED HE DID. ACFT WAS THEN CLRED FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE 4L APCH AT 5 MI FROM THE FINAL APCH FIX. THE ACFT THEN FLEW THROUGH THE LOC. I ASKED IF HE HAD THE LOC TUNED IN, HE SAID NO, HE THOUGHT IT WAS A VOR APCH. THE ACFT WAS THEN 6 MI FROM THE ARPT AND I ASKED IF HE WANTED TO BE VECTORED BACK OUT OR IF HE WANTED AN ASR APCH. THE PLT SAID HE WANTED THE ASR SO I GAVE HIM THE APCH AND HE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE BATON ROUGE TRACON IS EQUIPPED WITH ARTS IIA WHICH HAS MSA WARNING. IN THIS INCIDENT, THE MSAW DID NOT GO OFF EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT WENT WITHIN 50 FT RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF THE ANTENNA. THE MAJOR CONCERN IN THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THE ACFT TRAVELED MORE THAN 20 MI BEYOND THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND INTO THE ANTENNAS. I THINK THE PLT WAS INATTENTIVE AND WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THIS TIME. I THINK AIR TAXI OPERATORS AND ALL PLTS SHOULD MAINTAIN GOOD LISTENING HABITS ON THE RADIO. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE IN A TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT. BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE MAJOR AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE SYS. ENCLOSED IS A BTR RADAR MAP OF ACFT TRACK.

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.