Narrative:

Scheduled flight from phx to tus. Approximately air time only 18 mins. We left phx on a somewhat complicated SID -- the picah 5 departure and then were cleared onto another somewhat complicated STAR into tus -- the dingo 5 arrival. My copilot was flying and I was working the radios. With basically a '0' time cruise, we were both very busy with navigating and communicating with ATC. I got the ATIS for tus and honestly think I listened to the entire ATIS, and heard no mention of radar OTS. In sequence the next things to happen were: ZAB declared 'radar service terminated, contact tus approach.' tus approach made no mention of radar OTS or of what to expect. Was busy with several aircraft. We were asked to report mavva intersection, which we did. Copilot switched to the ILS for runway 11L and I had tus VOR with 123 degrees dialed in. Copilot got a flag on the localizer for runway 11L -- turned in visually with 'the' runway straight ahead. I told approach we were inbound for runway 11L. Approach control inquired if I was not holding at wason intersection as instructed. I told approach that I had not received or acknowledged any holding clearance. Then told to proceed RNAV to wason and hold as depicted. We had to reinsert wason in FMC, switch to navigation and proceed back to wason to hold. (There was a lot of heads down and chart flipping at this point). I believe this all happened for several reasons: late ATC clearance. Localizer flag when we should have been intercepting final. I don't think the aircraft ever was in the right holding pattern. Our eyes were overcoming our instruments when we had this nice runway in front of us. I think this would have been prevented if: we had gotten advance notice from ATC of non radar and holding in progress. We had left the FMC alone and flown to wason with raw data and we had kept our heads out of the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH IN A NIGHT OP. HDG TRACK DEV IN A NON COMPLIANCE WITH ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT FROM PHX TO TUS. APPROX AIR TIME ONLY 18 MINS. WE LEFT PHX ON A SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED SID -- THE PICAH 5 DEP AND THEN WERE CLRED ONTO ANOTHER SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED STAR INTO TUS -- THE DINGO 5 ARR. MY COPLT WAS FLYING AND I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. WITH BASICALLY A '0' TIME CRUISE, WE WERE BOTH VERY BUSY WITH NAVING AND COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. I GOT THE ATIS FOR TUS AND HONESTLY THINK I LISTENED TO THE ENTIRE ATIS, AND HEARD NO MENTION OF RADAR OTS. IN SEQUENCE THE NEXT THINGS TO HAPPEN WERE: ZAB DECLARED 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED, CONTACT TUS APCH.' TUS APCH MADE NO MENTION OF RADAR OTS OR OF WHAT TO EXPECT. WAS BUSY WITH SEVERAL ACFT. WE WERE ASKED TO RPT MAVVA INTXN, WHICH WE DID. COPLT SWITCHED TO THE ILS FOR RWY 11L AND I HAD TUS VOR WITH 123 DEGS DIALED IN. COPLT GOT A FLAG ON THE LOC FOR RWY 11L -- TURNED IN VISUALLY WITH 'THE' RWY STRAIGHT AHEAD. I TOLD APCH WE WERE INBOUND FOR RWY 11L. APCH CTL INQUIRED IF I WAS NOT HOLDING AT WASON INTXN AS INSTRUCTED. I TOLD APCH THAT I HAD NOT RECEIVED OR ACKNOWLEDGED ANY HOLDING CLRNC. THEN TOLD TO PROCEED RNAV TO WASON AND HOLD AS DEPICTED. WE HAD TO REINSERT WASON IN FMC, SWITCH TO NAV AND PROCEED BACK TO WASON TO HOLD. (THERE WAS A LOT OF HEADS DOWN AND CHART FLIPPING AT THIS POINT). I BELIEVE THIS ALL HAPPENED FOR SEVERAL REASONS: LATE ATC CLRNC. LOC FLAG WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTERCEPTING FINAL. I DON'T THINK THE ACFT EVER WAS IN THE RIGHT HOLDING PATTERN. OUR EYES WERE OVERCOMING OUR INSTS WHEN WE HAD THIS NICE RWY IN FRONT OF US. I THINK THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF: WE HAD GOTTEN ADVANCE NOTICE FROM ATC OF NON RADAR AND HOLDING IN PROGRESS. WE HAD LEFT THE FMC ALONE AND FLOWN TO WASON WITH RAW DATA AND WE HAD KEPT OUR HEADS OUT OF THE COCKPIT.

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.