Narrative:

We were being vectored to the ILS runway 28R at sfo. We were given a heading of 300 degrees to intercept the localizer and told to maintain 4000 ft to dumba. We were cleared for the ILS to runway 28R at sfo. As the localizer came alive the autoplt captured it and began a right turn instead of a left to capture the localizer. I told the copilot to turn left onto the localizer. He tried to make the autoflt system make the correction. I then told the first officer to 'turn left and get on the localizer, now!' as we were turning back onto the localizer, approach control called us and told us he showed us going north of the localizer, to turn left to 250 degrees to intercept the localizer and to go over to tower frequency. I looked over at the first officer's course indicator on the MCP and saw it said 346 degrees instead of 282 degrees. I called it to his attention and the rest of the approach proceeded normally. I honestly don't know when the course indicator was set on 346 degrees. I should have checked it during the approach descent checklist. I don't know if I missed it there or if the first officer turned it instead of the heading indicator while being vectored for the approach. What I do know is that in the future I will doublechk both the frequency and the course selector when we are on a heading to intercept the localizer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 FLC ATTEMPTS TO INTERCEPT AN ILS WITH THE WRONG COURSE SET IN THE COURSE DEV INDICATOR AND ARE TEMPORARILY CONFUSED WHEN THE ACFT MAKES AN UNEXPECTED TURN. THE ALERT APCH CTLR AND THE CAPT RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETHING IS AMISS AND START A CORRECTION PROCESS.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO THE ILS RWY 28R AT SFO. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 300 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT TO DUMBA. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 28R AT SFO. AS THE LOC CAME ALIVE THE AUTOPLT CAPTURED IT AND BEGAN A R TURN INSTEAD OF A L TO CAPTURE THE LOC. I TOLD THE COPLT TO TURN L ONTO THE LOC. HE TRIED TO MAKE THE AUTOFLT SYS MAKE THE CORRECTION. I THEN TOLD THE FO TO 'TURN L AND GET ON THE LOC, NOW!' AS WE WERE TURNING BACK ONTO THE LOC, APCH CTL CALLED US AND TOLD US HE SHOWED US GOING N OF THE LOC, TO TURN L TO 250 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND TO GO OVER TO TWR FREQ. I LOOKED OVER AT THE FO'S COURSE INDICATOR ON THE MCP AND SAW IT SAID 346 DEGS INSTEAD OF 282 DEGS. I CALLED IT TO HIS ATTN AND THE REST OF THE APCH PROCEEDED NORMALLY. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHEN THE COURSE INDICATOR WAS SET ON 346 DEGS. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED IT DURING THE APCH DSCNT CHKLIST. I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED IT THERE OR IF THE FO TURNED IT INSTEAD OF THE HDG INDICATOR WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT IN THE FUTURE I WILL DOUBLECHK BOTH THE FREQ AND THE COURSE SELECTOR WHEN WE ARE ON A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC.

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.