Narrative:

On nov/xx/93 en route from seattle, wa (sea) to ontario, ca (ont) on an RNAV direct IFR flight plan, we were using both GPS and VHF area navigation (VHF RNAV in the #1 navigation head on left/right needle). The waypoints were set up and stored digitally for the ziggy 3 arrival into the VHF-RNAV and we used them. I had tuned in the ILS frequency for the ILS 26L and had attempted to identify with morse code and was unable to and told the captain twice and the second time was just when he was being given his final heading to intercept the localizer inbound. He thought he had a good signal because he had only about a 1/4 or 1/3 scale needle deflection on the left/right needle and he told me so. But that was his deviation from ziggy intersection with the localizer final approach course (in degrees) set on his omni bearing selector. Furthermore I told him more than once 'that's not a good signal because you have a 'from' indication and you shouldn't have a 'to' or a 'from' indication while tuned to a localizer frequency.' twice more I told him that I had not been able to identify the localizer frequency by morse code. Twice I said 'let me put the localizer frequency in the #2 VHF navigation receiver' and he said 'no, finish the checklist, I have a good signal.' furthermore the DME values were increasing from ziggy intersection instead of decreasing as it would on the localizer frequency. But I couldn't see that from where I sat since it (the DME readout) is in the right hand top corner of the #1 VHF navigation head and recessed a little. When passing the LOM and FAF (with the ADF properly tuned and idented) we did not descend because we did not have a GS signal nor needle. When we recognized the airport we realized that we were too high and too far toward the other runway (26R) to land without a steep descent and a noticeable 'step to the left.' so he asked for a go around and we were vectored for another ILS to runway 26L. On the downwind leg we realized our prior mistake. The reasons that I allowed this mistake to happen was that all the other airplanes I have flown with an RNAV were set up so that when you select a localizer frequency it automatically disables to RNAV function and this was only the third time I had used the RNAV in this airplane and the first time to go from RNAV to ILS operational mode. Additionally, the captain was a low time pilot and his lack of taking good advice while in the cockpit so as to assert his position as captain was a major contributing factor. He says he has 1450 hours total flying time, 800 of which are in this same twin turboprop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN SMT TWIN ENG TURBOPROP ACFT HAD TO MAKE A MISSED APCH AFTER NOT DSNDING ON THE GS.

Narrative: ON NOV/XX/93 ENRTE FROM SEATTLE, WA (SEA) TO ONTARIO, CA (ONT) ON AN RNAV DIRECT IFR FLT PLAN, WE WERE USING BOTH GPS AND VHF AREA NAV (VHF RNAV IN THE #1 NAV HEAD ON L/R NEEDLE). THE WAYPOINTS WERE SET UP AND STORED DIGITALLY FOR THE ZIGGY 3 ARR INTO THE VHF-RNAV AND WE USED THEM. I HAD TUNED IN THE ILS FREQ FOR THE ILS 26L AND HAD ATTEMPTED TO IDENT WITH MORSE CODE AND WAS UNABLE TO AND TOLD THE CAPT TWICE AND THE SECOND TIME WAS JUST WHEN HE WAS BEING GIVEN HIS FINAL HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC INBOUND. HE THOUGHT HE HAD A GOOD SIGNAL BECAUSE HE HAD ONLY ABOUT A 1/4 OR 1/3 SCALE NEEDLE DEFLECTION ON THE L/R NEEDLE AND HE TOLD ME SO. BUT THAT WAS HIS DEV FROM ZIGGY INTXN WITH THE LOC FINAL APCH COURSE (IN DEGS) SET ON HIS OMNI BEARING SELECTOR. FURTHERMORE I TOLD HIM MORE THAN ONCE 'THAT'S NOT A GOOD SIGNAL BECAUSE YOU HAVE A 'FROM' INDICATION AND YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A 'TO' OR A 'FROM' INDICATION WHILE TUNED TO A LOC FREQ.' TWICE MORE I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENT THE LOC FREQ BY MORSE CODE. TWICE I SAID 'LET ME PUT THE LOC FREQ IN THE #2 VHF NAV RECEIVER' AND HE SAID 'NO, FINISH THE CHKLIST, I HAVE A GOOD SIGNAL.' FURTHERMORE THE DME VALUES WERE INCREASING FROM ZIGGY INTXN INSTEAD OF DECREASING AS IT WOULD ON THE LOC FREQ. BUT I COULDN'T SEE THAT FROM WHERE I SAT SINCE IT (THE DME READOUT) IS IN THE R HAND TOP CORNER OF THE #1 VHF NAV HEAD AND RECESSED A LITTLE. WHEN PASSING THE LOM AND FAF (WITH THE ADF PROPERLY TUNED AND IDENTED) WE DID NOT DSND BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE A GS SIGNAL NOR NEEDLE. WHEN WE RECOGNIZED THE ARPT WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH AND TOO FAR TOWARD THE OTHER RWY (26R) TO LAND WITHOUT A STEEP DSCNT AND A NOTICEABLE 'STEP TO THE L.' SO HE ASKED FOR A GAR AND WE WERE VECTORED FOR ANOTHER ILS TO RWY 26L. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG WE REALIZED OUR PRIOR MISTAKE. THE REASONS THAT I ALLOWED THIS MISTAKE TO HAPPEN WAS THAT ALL THE OTHER AIRPLANES I HAVE FLOWN WITH AN RNAV WERE SET UP SO THAT WHEN YOU SELECT A LOC FREQ IT AUTOMATICALLY DISABLES TO RNAV FUNCTION AND THIS WAS ONLY THE THIRD TIME I HAD USED THE RNAV IN THIS AIRPLANE AND THE FIRST TIME TO GO FROM RNAV TO ILS OPERATIONAL MODE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAPT WAS A LOW TIME PLT AND HIS LACK OF TAKING GOOD ADVICE WHILE IN THE COCKPIT SO AS TO ASSERT HIS POS AS CAPT WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. HE SAYS HE HAS 1450 HRS TOTAL FLYING TIME, 800 OF WHICH ARE IN THIS SAME TWIN TURBOPROP.

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.