Narrative:

It was the end of an 8 hour (flight time) day in which we had shot full IFR approachs to low ceiling, low visibility, icing conditions at dca, ord, and now lga. The first officer's radio was on the 22 localizer and mine was lga VOR as 22 localizer has no DME. The controller turned us tight on the localizer, actually a little inside the marker, and we corrected for the marker. We got 'localizer cap' and marker passage at the same time and switched to tower. After its initial movement, the localizer seemed to hang up about 1 1/2 dots left. When we checked in with tower, he asked us if we were receiving the localizer. About this time the first officer's localizer had gone back full left. I told tower we wanted to go around and try it again. On the missed approach, the localizer came quickly off the left side on the case toward center, much quicker than it should have for the correction we had in. After our missed approach, while on downwind, I made a PA asking that if any passenger had cellular phones or computers turned on that they turn them off. Our second approach was uneventful with both locs monitoring normal. After deplaning, the flight attendants said they had not observed any phones or computers in use. I should have asked tower if there were any planes or ground vehicles in a position to interfere with the localizer, but I did not. At the time, I was convinced I was dealing with electronic interference, but now I don't think I can say for sure, due to other possibilities. However, I feel there is a strong likelihood that this was the cause of our problem. This instance, along with 3 instances of cellular phone interference I have experienced on the ground, make me believe that use of these devices (e.g., computers, cellular phones, etc) on aircraft should be more tightly restr and more thoroughly investigated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT SUSPECTS ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE CAUSED LOC RECEIVER ANOMALY THAT LED TO A MISSED APCH.

Narrative: IT WAS THE END OF AN 8 HR (FLT TIME) DAY IN WHICH WE HAD SHOT FULL IFR APCHS TO LOW CEILING, LOW VISIBILITY, ICING CONDITIONS AT DCA, ORD, AND NOW LGA. THE FO'S RADIO WAS ON THE 22 LOC AND MINE WAS LGA VOR AS 22 LOC HAS NO DME. THE CTLR TURNED US TIGHT ON THE LOC, ACTUALLY A LITTLE INSIDE THE MARKER, AND WE CORRECTED FOR THE MARKER. WE GOT 'LOC CAP' AND MARKER PASSAGE AT THE SAME TIME AND SWITCHED TO TWR. AFTER ITS INITIAL MOVEMENT, THE LOC SEEMED TO HANG UP ABOUT 1 1/2 DOTS L. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH TWR, HE ASKED US IF WE WERE RECEIVING THE LOC. ABOUT THIS TIME THE FO'S LOC HAD GONE BACK FULL L. I TOLD TWR WE WANTED TO GAR AND TRY IT AGAIN. ON THE MISSED APCH, THE LOC CAME QUICKLY OFF THE L SIDE ON THE CASE TOWARD CTR, MUCH QUICKER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE FOR THE CORRECTION WE HAD IN. AFTER OUR MISSED APCH, WHILE ON DOWNWIND, I MADE A PA ASKING THAT IF ANY PAX HAD CELLULAR PHONES OR COMPUTERS TURNED ON THAT THEY TURN THEM OFF. OUR SECOND APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH BOTH LOCS MONITORING NORMAL. AFTER DEPLANING, THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY HAD NOT OBSERVED ANY PHONES OR COMPUTERS IN USE. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED TWR IF THERE WERE ANY PLANES OR GND VEHICLES IN A POS TO INTERFERE WITH THE LOC, BUT I DID NOT. AT THE TIME, I WAS CONVINCED I WAS DEALING WITH ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE, BUT NOW I DON'T THINK I CAN SAY FOR SURE, DUE TO OTHER POSSIBILITIES. HOWEVER, I FEEL THERE IS A STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF OUR PROB. THIS INSTANCE, ALONG WITH 3 INSTANCES OF CELLULAR PHONE INTERFERENCE I HAVE EXPERIENCED ON THE GND, MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT USE OF THESE DEVICES (E.G., COMPUTERS, CELLULAR PHONES, ETC) ON ACFT SHOULD BE MORE TIGHTLY RESTR AND MORE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED.

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.