Flight crew of an md super 80 flew through the final localizer course for the parallel runway to whi...

Attributes
ACN	351655
Time
Date	199611
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	351655
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Airport WX was clear. We had positively idented the destination airport 20 NM out. Center cleared us to the VOR (co-located with the airport) and assigned us a heading to fly. Crossing the VORTAC we were vectored to a downwind and then given a clearance for a published visual approach. On base we were assigned the left runway and a commuter aircraft was assigned the right runway of parallel runways. I was the PNF and positively idented the commuter aircraft also on a base leg for the right runway. We had expected the right runway which was the normal procedure for this, our home airport. The right runway is served by an ILS which was operating. The left runway is not served by an ILS. When we were cleared for the left runway I deselected the ILS frequency on my side because we were not cleared for the right runway but for the left. I had my eyes on the commuter aircraft most of the time, I glanced over to the captain's instruments and noticed our aircraft had flown through the ILS localizer for the right side. I was confirming the captain still had the right side localizer frequency tuned and I had correctly interpreted what I was seeing, when the captain said that we had flown through the localizer and turned back to the left. When we turned base to final, we lost the airport visually (totally unexpectedly) in a combination of haze and glare off the late afternoon sun. Both of us commented on the sudden difficulty we encountered locating the airport. As the captain was turning back to the left, the approach controller asked us if we were s-turning on final. Then he told us to be sure we clear any such maneuvers with him prior. We had traffic off our right side (I had this aircraft in sight during this event). The commuter pilot also acknowledged he had us in sight. In retrospect, given the excellent WX, I do not think I could have anticipated losing visual contact with the airport. However, once we did lose visual contact we should have told the approach controller. TCASII did activate giving us a TA -- traffic was already in sight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD SUPER 80 FLEW THROUGH THE FINAL LOC COURSE FOR THE PARALLEL RWY TO WHICH THEY WERE MAKING A VISUAL APCH AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS MAKING A VISUAL TO THE OTHER PARALLEL RWY. IN ADDITION, THE CREW FAILED TO RPT THAT THEY HAD LOST VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE ARPT WHEN TURNING BASE TO FINAL.

Narrative: ARPT WX WAS CLR. WE HAD POSITIVELY IDENTED THE DEST ARPT 20 NM OUT. CTR CLRED US TO THE VOR (CO-LOCATED WITH THE ARPT) AND ASSIGNED US A HDG TO FLY. XING THE VORTAC WE WERE VECTORED TO A DOWNWIND AND THEN GIVEN A CLRNC FOR A PUBLISHED VISUAL APCH. ON BASE WE WERE ASSIGNED THE L RWY AND A COMMUTER ACFT WAS ASSIGNED THE R RWY OF PARALLEL RWYS. I WAS THE PNF AND POSITIVELY IDENTED THE COMMUTER ACFT ALSO ON A BASE LEG FOR THE R RWY. WE HAD EXPECTED THE R RWY WHICH WAS THE NORMAL PROC FOR THIS, OUR HOME ARPT. THE R RWY IS SERVED BY AN ILS WHICH WAS OPERATING. THE L RWY IS NOT SERVED BY AN ILS. WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE L RWY I DESELECTED THE ILS FREQ ON MY SIDE BECAUSE WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE R RWY BUT FOR THE L. I HAD MY EYES ON THE COMMUTER ACFT MOST OF THE TIME, I GLANCED OVER TO THE CAPT'S INSTS AND NOTICED OUR ACFT HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE ILS LOC FOR THE R SIDE. I WAS CONFIRMING THE CAPT STILL HAD THE R SIDE LOC FREQ TUNED AND I HAD CORRECTLY INTERPRETED WHAT I WAS SEEING, WHEN THE CAPT SAID THAT WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC AND TURNED BACK TO THE L. WHEN WE TURNED BASE TO FINAL, WE LOST THE ARPT VISUALLY (TOTALLY UNEXPECTEDLY) IN A COMBINATION OF HAZE AND GLARE OFF THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN. BOTH OF US COMMENTED ON THE SUDDEN DIFFICULTY WE ENCOUNTERED LOCATING THE ARPT. AS THE CAPT WAS TURNING BACK TO THE L, THE APCH CTLR ASKED US IF WE WERE S-TURNING ON FINAL. THEN HE TOLD US TO BE SURE WE CLR ANY SUCH MANEUVERS WITH HIM PRIOR. WE HAD TFC OFF OUR R SIDE (I HAD THIS ACFT IN SIGHT DURING THIS EVENT). THE COMMUTER PLT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED HE HAD US IN SIGHT. IN RETROSPECT, GIVEN THE EXCELLENT WX, I DO NOT THINK I COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED LOSING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. HOWEVER, ONCE WE DID LOSE VISUAL CONTACT WE SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE APCH CTLR. TCASII DID ACTIVATE GIVING US A TA -- TFC WAS ALREADY IN SIGHT.

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.