Narrative:

ATIS: 1200 ft overcast landing runway 7L&right. VOR ffm NOTAM: OTS, replaced by DME only 110.95. We were holding at rudesheim (rud) at 9000 ft, expect further clearance at XA24. Assuming an ILS runway 7L, we were going to use ILS on ADI as company had not put any approachs or stars in FMC, only runways. Cleared to 4000 ft, heading 110 degrees, switched to approach. We left rud and checked in with a controller who had a very bad command of the english language. Said maintain 4000 ft, heading 090 degrees, cleared on ? DME runway 7R.' we looked at each other and said 'what did she say?' after about 3 tries we determined we were being cleared for an NDB DME runway 7R approach. Neither of us had heard of this approach before. We are now on vectors to runway 7R and getting closer. I went through all my plates and could find no NDB DME approach. Captain was doing same. I handed my plates to relief first officer behind me and told him to look while I tuned and idented. Fw (frankfurt) NDB (frequency 382) (I got frequency from ILS runway 7R plate). I also tuned 110.95 on ILS for DME information as I knew VOR was off the air. Captain said I have it, it's 13-2, relief officer had not been able to find an NDB DME approach so I took my plates back and took out 13-2. We were about 13 mi out from ffm VOR at this time 4 mi from fw. The captain was tracking inbound 071 degree radial on the fw NDB and I was giving him altitudes based on DME off plate 13-2 which turned out to be a VOR DME runway 7R plate. As the needles swung over the beacon we were at 1600 ft and I told him you're cleared to 830 ft. About 30 seconds later we broke out slightly left of runway 7R, went visual, and landed. To make a long story short we shot an approach we didn't have a plate for because of fatigue, type approach not on ATIS so we couldn't set up, approach not in VMC, company did not give us a plate for this approach, and late notice as to approach we were shooting. We didn't realize what we had done until we went to hotel and thought it out. Comments: the FAA aci riding in the cockpit said as he left, 'well, you were a little confused in the beginning, but you made a nice recovery.' the whole thing would have been avoided if they had only put the type of approach to expect on the ATIS, instead of surprising you at 12 DME.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE INBOUND TO FRANKFURT, A B-767 FLC LOST PREPARATION TIME AND EXPERIENCED CONFUSION OVER DISTR WITH LANGUAGE BARRIER, INADEQUATE ATIS DATA, AND DIFFICULTY IN LOCATING IAP. UNDER TIME AND ACI CHK RIDE PRESSURE, THE FLC DECIPHERED NDB DME, BUT IN CONFUSION, FLEW THE VOR DME APCH. ERROR DISCOVERED AFTER THE FACT. FATIGUE CITED AS FACTOR.

Narrative: ATIS: 1200 FT OVCST LNDG RWY 7L&R. VOR FFM NOTAM: OTS, REPLACED BY DME ONLY 110.95. WE WERE HOLDING AT RUDESHEIM (RUD) AT 9000 FT, EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC AT XA24. ASSUMING AN ILS RWY 7L, WE WERE GOING TO USE ILS ON ADI AS COMPANY HAD NOT PUT ANY APCHS OR STARS IN FMC, ONLY RWYS. CLRED TO 4000 FT, HDG 110 DEGS, SWITCHED TO APCH. WE LEFT RUD AND CHKED IN WITH A CTLR WHO HAD A VERY BAD COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SAID MAINTAIN 4000 FT, HDG 090 DEGS, CLRED ON ? DME RWY 7R.' WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID 'WHAT DID SHE SAY?' AFTER ABOUT 3 TRIES WE DETERMINED WE WERE BEING CLRED FOR AN NDB DME RWY 7R APCH. NEITHER OF US HAD HEARD OF THIS APCH BEFORE. WE ARE NOW ON VECTORS TO RWY 7R AND GETTING CLOSER. I WENT THROUGH ALL MY PLATES AND COULD FIND NO NDB DME APCH. CAPT WAS DOING SAME. I HANDED MY PLATES TO RELIEF FO BEHIND ME AND TOLD HIM TO LOOK WHILE I TUNED AND IDENTED. FW (FRANKFURT) NDB (FREQ 382) (I GOT FREQ FROM ILS RWY 7R PLATE). I ALSO TUNED 110.95 ON ILS FOR DME INFO AS I KNEW VOR WAS OFF THE AIR. CAPT SAID I HAVE IT, IT'S 13-2, RELIEF OFFICER HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND AN NDB DME APCH SO I TOOK MY PLATES BACK AND TOOK OUT 13-2. WE WERE ABOUT 13 MI OUT FROM FFM VOR AT THIS TIME 4 MI FROM FW. THE CAPT WAS TRACKING INBOUND 071 DEG RADIAL ON THE FW NDB AND I WAS GIVING HIM ALTS BASED ON DME OFF PLATE 13-2 WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A VOR DME RWY 7R PLATE. AS THE NEEDLES SWUNG OVER THE BEACON WE WERE AT 1600 FT AND I TOLD HIM YOU'RE CLRED TO 830 FT. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER WE BROKE OUT SLIGHTLY L OF RWY 7R, WENT VISUAL, AND LANDED. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT WE SHOT AN APCH WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLATE FOR BECAUSE OF FATIGUE, TYPE APCH NOT ON ATIS SO WE COULDN'T SET UP, APCH NOT IN VMC, COMPANY DID NOT GIVE US A PLATE FOR THIS APCH, AND LATE NOTICE AS TO APCH WE WERE SHOOTING. WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT WE HAD DONE UNTIL WE WENT TO HOTEL AND THOUGHT IT OUT. COMMENTS: THE FAA ACI RIDING IN THE COCKPIT SAID AS HE LEFT, 'WELL, YOU WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED IN THE BEGINNING, BUT YOU MADE A NICE RECOVERY.' THE WHOLE THING WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THEY HAD ONLY PUT THE TYPE OF APCH TO EXPECT ON THE ATIS, INSTEAD OF SURPRISING YOU AT 12 DME.

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.