Narrative:

Problem arises from poorly charted approach plates which led to positional/situational awareness difficulties by both student and instructor. Reference aim chapter 1 marker beacons, nos northeast volume 1 of 3 effective dec/xx/94 to feb/yy/95, localizer back course runway 23 ewb. We were being radar vectored to final approach by pvd approach into the localizer back course runway 23 at ewb. We were given a heading of 200 degrees to intercept localizer 3 mi north of cuson OM, the final approach fix for this approach. I reminded my student of the reverse course deviation indicator needle indications on the back course approach. He did not intercept the course fast enough once cleared for the localizer back course approach and we found ourselves southeast of course and re-intercepting. Note: the nos charts refer to cuson as an OM indicating to pilots a blue panel indication light with dash tones in the headset, which is what we were awaiting. We heard tones corresponding to 'DOT DOT, DOT DOT' and a white light on the panel. This aircraft was not DME equipped and at the time DME was OTS on the localizer anyway. We continued at 1800 ft, the MDA, until crossing cuson. The tones and light received were foreign to myself and the student and we figured that those were not the tones and light we were looking for, since the cuson is charted as an OM. We continued with increasingly sensitive CDI indications until we heard and saw the panel lights going off again, at which time we started descent. We broke out of the clouds at 1000 ft where I began looking for the airport. Tower advised that we were south of the field at 800 ft. I turned around, saw the airport behind us and yelled for a missed approach. We proceeded to nefor LOM, completed a procedure turn in the hold and came in on the ILS runway 5 and landed without further problems. This occurrence was, as PIC, my fault, and served to scare me to death, which made me research this problem further so that I could learn as much as I could. I found in the aim a back course type marker beacon which I nor anyone else at the airport had ever heard of. Probably due to the lack of localizer back course approachs in our area. The aim calls this a back course marker beacon for back course final approach fixes. Since nos is changing this back course beacon on this approach as an OM, the audio and panel indications we are expecting are different than those received through a back course beacon. Shouldn't' this cuson OM be charted as cuson back course? This was very disorienting to me and I'm sure could be to other pilots as well. Please contact me for further information if needed. In hindsight, this should have been an immediate missed approach. I'm just glad to live and learn. My instrument experience is as follows: actual instrument: 35.1 hours, simulated instrument: 66.8 hours. IFR hours in last 6 months: 15 actual/5.2 simulated. IFR approach in last 6 months: 121 (with students and myself) (22 myself), last IFR check: dec/xx/94 PA34-200 seneca amel instrument/commercial. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he spoke to pvd approach and to new bedford tower reference the published information. Both said they would look into it and see what might be done. Reporter spoke to the controller who worked the flight that night who is also a pilot and he agreed that this could be very misleading. Aircraft was a piper warrior.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINING FLT WITH INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT FAILS TO DSND ON APCH DUE TO WRONG CODE AND LIGHT ON MARKER BEACON.

Narrative: PROB ARISES FROM POORLY CHARTED APCH PLATES WHICH LED TO POSITIONAL/SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DIFFICULTIES BY BOTH STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR. REF AIM CHAPTER 1 MARKER BEACONS, NOS NE VOLUME 1 OF 3 EFFECTIVE DEC/XX/94 TO FEB/YY/95, LOC BACK COURSE RWY 23 EWB. WE WERE BEING RADAR VECTORED TO FINAL APCH BY PVD APCH INTO THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 23 AT EWB. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 200 DEGS TO INTERCEPT LOC 3 MI N OF CUSON OM, THE FINAL APCH FIX FOR THIS APCH. I REMINDED MY STUDENT OF THE REVERSE COURSE DEV INDICATOR NEEDLE INDICATIONS ON THE BACK COURSE APCH. HE DID NOT INTERCEPT THE COURSE FAST ENOUGH ONCE CLRED FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE APCH AND WE FOUND OURSELVES SE OF COURSE AND RE-INTERCEPTING. NOTE: THE NOS CHARTS REFER TO CUSON AS AN OM INDICATING TO PLTS A BLUE PANEL INDICATION LIGHT WITH DASH TONES IN THE HEADSET, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE AWAITING. WE HEARD TONES CORRESPONDING TO 'DOT DOT, DOT DOT' AND A WHITE LIGHT ON THE PANEL. THIS ACFT WAS NOT DME EQUIPPED AND AT THE TIME DME WAS OTS ON THE LOC ANYWAY. WE CONTINUED AT 1800 FT, THE MDA, UNTIL XING CUSON. THE TONES AND LIGHT RECEIVED WERE FOREIGN TO MYSELF AND THE STUDENT AND WE FIGURED THAT THOSE WERE NOT THE TONES AND LIGHT WE WERE LOOKING FOR, SINCE THE CUSON IS CHARTED AS AN OM. WE CONTINUED WITH INCREASINGLY SENSITIVE CDI INDICATIONS UNTIL WE HEARD AND SAW THE PANEL LIGHTS GOING OFF AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME WE STARTED DSCNT. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 1000 FT WHERE I BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. TWR ADVISED THAT WE WERE S OF THE FIELD AT 800 FT. I TURNED AROUND, SAW THE ARPT BEHIND US AND YELLED FOR A MISSED APCH. WE PROCEEDED TO NEFOR LOM, COMPLETED A PROC TURN IN THE HOLD AND CAME IN ON THE ILS RWY 5 AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS, AS PIC, MY FAULT, AND SERVED TO SCARE ME TO DEATH, WHICH MADE ME RESEARCH THIS PROB FURTHER SO THAT I COULD LEARN AS MUCH AS I COULD. I FOUND IN THE AIM A BACK COURSE TYPE MARKER BEACON WHICH I NOR ANYONE ELSE AT THE ARPT HAD EVER HEARD OF. PROBABLY DUE TO THE LACK OF LOC BACK COURSE APCHS IN OUR AREA. THE AIM CALLS THIS A BACK COURSE MARKER BEACON FOR BACK COURSE FINAL APCH FIXES. SINCE NOS IS CHANGING THIS BACK COURSE BEACON ON THIS APCH AS AN OM, THE AUDIO AND PANEL INDICATIONS WE ARE EXPECTING ARE DIFFERENT THAN THOSE RECEIVED THROUGH A BACK COURSE BEACON. SHOULDN'T' THIS CUSON OM BE CHARTED AS CUSON BACK COURSE? THIS WAS VERY DISORIENTING TO ME AND I'M SURE COULD BE TO OTHER PLTS AS WELL. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR FURTHER INFO IF NEEDED. IN HINDSIGHT, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN IMMEDIATE MISSED APCH. I'M JUST GLAD TO LIVE AND LEARN. MY INST EXPERIENCE IS AS FOLLOWS: ACTUAL INST: 35.1 HRS, SIMULATED INST: 66.8 HRS. IFR HRS IN LAST 6 MONTHS: 15 ACTUAL/5.2 SIMULATED. IFR APCH IN LAST 6 MONTHS: 121 (WITH STUDENTS AND MYSELF) (22 MYSELF), LAST IFR CHK: DEC/XX/94 PA34-200 SENECA AMEL INST/COMMERCIAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE SPOKE TO PVD APCH AND TO NEW BEDFORD TWR REF THE PUBLISHED INFO. BOTH SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND SEE WHAT MIGHT BE DONE. RPTR SPOKE TO THE CTLR WHO WORKED THE FLT THAT NIGHT WHO IS ALSO A PLT AND HE AGREED THAT THIS COULD BE VERY MISLEADING. ACFT WAS A PIPER WARRIOR.

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.