Narrative:

On aug/xx/96, small transport was flying from unv to abe at approximately XA00 pm. After entering allentown's class C airspace and being vectored for the localizer back course runway 24, approach control instructed small transport to turn right to a heading of 220 degrees, maintain 2000 ft until established on the localizer back course runway 24 to intercept the course between nazar and wiley. Problems arose when captain engaged the autoplt to shoot the coupled approach, resulting in the aircraft turning and descending to the left. I repeated the instructions given by approach control. The aircraft continued through the back course and descended through 2000 ft MSL. At this point, captain disconnected the autoplt and made a right hand turn to fly direct to the airport and continued to descend. I indicated that the aircraft was low and left of course (CDI indicated full scale deflection). Approach control informed us that small transport was 400 ft below GS (indicating 1400 ft MSL) and to maintain 1800 ft until reaching wiley. I responded that we were correcting. Captain did not respond to approach's directions, prompting me to repeat the instructions. Captain only response was that the aircraft was 1 mi from wiley, therefore the altitude was not a problem. After passing wiley, the captain descended to 1100 ft MSL (still full scale deflection to the left) and leveled off. At 1100 ft the aircraft broke out of the clouds and the captain was able to take over visually. Throughout this approach, the captain neither gave nor solicited information from the copilot. The captain, also, did not acknowledge or take corrective action when prompted by the copilot or approach control. This issue has been discussed with both the director of operations and chief pilot at our company and they are taking corrective actions with the help of the captain.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A BEECHCRAFT KINGAIR 90 FAILED TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT AND DSNDED PREMATURELY DURING A BACK COURSE APCH. IN ADDITION, THE CAPT FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND CORRECTED ONLY AFTER DSNDING BELOW THE OVCST TO PICKUP THE RWY VISUALLY.

Narrative: ON AUG/XX/96, SMT WAS FLYING FROM UNV TO ABE AT APPROX XA00 PM. AFTER ENTERING ALLENTOWN'S CLASS C AIRSPACE AND BEING VECTORED FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 24, APCH CTL INSTRUCTED SMT TO TURN R TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS, MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 24 TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE BTWN NAZAR AND WILEY. PROBS AROSE WHEN CAPT ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT TO SHOOT THE COUPLED APCH, RESULTING IN THE ACFT TURNING AND DSNDING TO THE L. I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY APCH CTL. THE ACFT CONTINUED THROUGH THE BACK COURSE AND DSNDED THROUGH 2000 FT MSL. AT THIS POINT, CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND MADE A R HAND TURN TO FLY DIRECT TO THE ARPT AND CONTINUED TO DSND. I INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS LOW AND L OF COURSE (CDI INDICATED FULL SCALE DEFLECTION). APCH CTL INFORMED US THAT SMT WAS 400 FT BELOW GS (INDICATING 1400 FT MSL) AND TO MAINTAIN 1800 FT UNTIL REACHING WILEY. I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE CORRECTING. CAPT DID NOT RESPOND TO APCH'S DIRECTIONS, PROMPTING ME TO REPEAT THE INSTRUCTIONS. CAPT ONLY RESPONSE WAS THAT THE ACFT WAS 1 MI FROM WILEY, THEREFORE THE ALT WAS NOT A PROB. AFTER PASSING WILEY, THE CAPT DSNDED TO 1100 FT MSL (STILL FULL SCALE DEFLECTION TO THE L) AND LEVELED OFF. AT 1100 FT THE ACFT BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER VISUALLY. THROUGHOUT THIS APCH, THE CAPT NEITHER GAVE NOR SOLICITED INFO FROM THE COPLT. THE CAPT, ALSO, DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OR TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION WHEN PROMPTED BY THE COPLT OR APCH CTL. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH BOTH THE DIRECTOR OF OPS AND CHIEF PLT AT OUR COMPANY AND THEY ARE TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WITH THE HELP OF THE CAPT.

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.