Narrative:

I'm an first officer on a DC8 for a cargo operation. During an approach into el salvador, the captain briefed the approach for VOR runway 7. The approach controller then cleared us for the VOR DME 25. The captain took out this approach and reviewed it briefly. We were arriving from the west and needed to proceed outbound on the 137 degree radial from the CAT VOR to intercept the 8 DME arc. Instead, the captain began an 8 DME arc on the west side of the field and 'arced' north. The controller informed us of the mistake and questioned if we had the approach plate on board. They also asked him to come back to el salvador and explain what happened. To finish our approach, the controller asked if we had a visual on the airport, which we did, so he cleared us to do several 360 degree turns to lose altitude and shoot a visual approach to runway 25. The problem arose from a poor briefing of the approach and the captain expecting to get the VOR DME to runway 7.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8 FREIGHTER CAPT USES THE WRONG PROC FOR AN IAP VOR DME APCH RWY 25 AT MSLP, FO.

Narrative: I'M AN FO ON A DC8 FOR A CARGO OP. DURING AN APCH INTO EL SALVADOR, THE CAPT BRIEFED THE APCH FOR VOR RWY 7. THE APCH CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR THE VOR DME 25. THE CAPT TOOK OUT THIS APCH AND REVIEWED IT BRIEFLY. WE WERE ARRIVING FROM THE W AND NEEDED TO PROCEED OUTBOUND ON THE 137 DEG RADIAL FROM THE CAT VOR TO INTERCEPT THE 8 DME ARC. INSTEAD, THE CAPT BEGAN AN 8 DME ARC ON THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD AND 'ARCED' N. THE CTLR INFORMED US OF THE MISTAKE AND QUESTIONED IF WE HAD THE APCH PLATE ON BOARD. THEY ALSO ASKED HIM TO COME BACK TO EL SALVADOR AND EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. TO FINISH OUR APCH, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE ARPT, WHICH WE DID, SO HE CLRED US TO DO SEVERAL 360 DEG TURNS TO LOSE ALT AND SHOOT A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25. THE PROB AROSE FROM A POOR BRIEFING OF THE APCH AND THE CAPT EXPECTING TO GET THE VOR DME TO RWY 7.

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.