Narrative:

As we approach atl, air traffic control asks us if we have the airport in sight. Copilot sees it, so I call it. We were holding 4000 ft MSL, but ATC clears us for the visual to runway 8L. The copilot, trying to use the EFIS, doesn't push the VOR/localizer button to capture the course. I do not notice this because I am doing the approach checklist. I am, however, paying attention to the runway. He flys through the course. As he does this, I correct him. When ATC calls, we are already reintercepting. However, my copilot has not started a descent. His mind was still on the intercept and ATC, so I say, 'we are cleared for the visual!' he says, 'yes.' I said, 'you are way high, plus we are eating up a B727.' he still delays and finally calls 'flaps 5 des.' I say, as a clye, 'do you want me to spoil for you?' he says, 'yes, and I pull full flight spoilers. He takes the hint and called for gear and more flaps. At this time approach tells us to contact tower (119.3) OM inbound. I call tower, but they are so busy I couldn't get a word in. We have corrected the glide path but the B727 was taking their sweet time on the runway. I am busy watching him, and trying to get a landing clearance from tower. I finally get a word in to tower. From his reaction, I could tell he had never heard of flight abc. We were 100 ft AGL at that point. I told my copilot to go around, while I read the chart to find the right tower frequency so I could tell tower we were going around. I call the missed approach and my copilot (who has never done a real go around in the B737) added power, and that is it. No gear, no flaps, just power. Also, going off was a terrain horn saying, 'too low, terrain.' once I silence the horn and configure the aircraft for flight, run the climb checklist and talk to approach, I explain to him that we had received or had heard the wrong frequency. With that, the B727 and my copilot getting behind the aircraft, we did not have a landing clearance. ATC also requested an explanation. Then we were vectored for a long downwind again, base, and again cleared for the visual. My copilot this time remembered to hit VOR/localizer on the MCP. I verified it because I did not want our first mistake of flying through final to happen again. While talking to approach and doing checklist items, he flew through approach final again. Again I corrected him, and he corrected. This time ATC yelled at us for flying through final. He said, 'flight crew abc, you flew through final again!' we had done everything right, or so I thought. When we had gotten the terrain advisory on go around, my copilot spun his frequency knob, thinking that would cancel it out, so VOR/localizer did not work. So after we corrected, landing was uneventful. When we got to the gate, an FAA representative was there to meet us. There never was an issue as to the safety of flight. We never received a TCASII advisory or such and our overshoot of the final was not excessive. Plus we were on a visual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC FLIES THROUGH LOC TWICE ON VFR APCH TO ATL.

Narrative: AS WE APCH ATL, AIR TFC CTL ASKS US IF WE HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. COPLT SEES IT, SO I CALL IT. WE WERE HOLDING 4000 FT MSL, BUT ATC CLRS US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 8L. THE COPLT, TRYING TO USE THE EFIS, DOESN'T PUSH THE VOR/LOC BUTTON TO CAPTURE THE COURSE. I DO NOT NOTICE THIS BECAUSE I AM DOING THE APCH CHKLIST. I AM, HOWEVER, PAYING ATTN TO THE RWY. HE FLYS THROUGH THE COURSE. AS HE DOES THIS, I CORRECT HIM. WHEN ATC CALLS, WE ARE ALREADY REINTERCEPTING. HOWEVER, MY COPLT HAS NOT STARTED A DSCNT. HIS MIND WAS STILL ON THE INTERCEPT AND ATC, SO I SAY, 'WE ARE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL!' HE SAYS, 'YES.' I SAID, 'YOU ARE WAY HIGH, PLUS WE ARE EATING UP A B727.' HE STILL DELAYS AND FINALLY CALLS 'FLAPS 5 DES.' I SAY, AS A CLYE, 'DO YOU WANT ME TO SPOIL FOR YOU?' HE SAYS, 'YES, AND I PULL FULL FLT SPOILERS. HE TAKES THE HINT AND CALLED FOR GEAR AND MORE FLAPS. AT THIS TIME APCH TELLS US TO CONTACT TWR (119.3) OM INBOUND. I CALL TWR, BUT THEY ARE SO BUSY I COULDN'T GET A WORD IN. WE HAVE CORRECTED THE GLIDE PATH BUT THE B727 WAS TAKING THEIR SWEET TIME ON THE RWY. I AM BUSY WATCHING HIM, AND TRYING TO GET A LNDG CLRNC FROM TWR. I FINALLY GET A WORD IN TO TWR. FROM HIS REACTION, I COULD TELL HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF FLT ABC. WE WERE 100 FT AGL AT THAT POINT. I TOLD MY COPLT TO GO AROUND, WHILE I READ THE CHART TO FIND THE RIGHT TWR FREQ SO I COULD TELL TWR WE WERE GOING AROUND. I CALL THE MISSED APCH AND MY COPLT (WHO HAS NEVER DONE A REAL GAR IN THE B737) ADDED PWR, AND THAT IS IT. NO GEAR, NO FLAPS, JUST PWR. ALSO, GOING OFF WAS A TERRAIN HORN SAYING, 'TOO LOW, TERRAIN.' ONCE I SILENCE THE HORN AND CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR FLT, RUN THE CLB CHKLIST AND TALK TO APCH, I EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT WE HAD RECEIVED OR HAD HEARD THE WRONG FREQ. WITH THAT, THE B727 AND MY COPLT GETTING BEHIND THE ACFT, WE DID NOT HAVE A LNDG CLRNC. ATC ALSO REQUESTED AN EXPLANATION. THEN WE WERE VECTORED FOR A LONG DOWNWIND AGAIN, BASE, AND AGAIN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. MY COPLT THIS TIME REMEMBERED TO HIT VOR/LOC ON THE MCP. I VERIFIED IT BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT OUR FIRST MISTAKE OF FLYING THROUGH FINAL TO HAPPEN AGAIN. WHILE TALKING TO APCH AND DOING CHKLIST ITEMS, HE FLEW THROUGH APCH FINAL AGAIN. AGAIN I CORRECTED HIM, AND HE CORRECTED. THIS TIME ATC YELLED AT US FOR FLYING THROUGH FINAL. HE SAID, 'FLC ABC, YOU FLEW THROUGH FINAL AGAIN!' WE HAD DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT, OR SO I THOUGHT. WHEN WE HAD GOTTEN THE TERRAIN ADVISORY ON GAR, MY COPLT SPUN HIS FREQ KNOB, THINKING THAT WOULD CANCEL IT OUT, SO VOR/LOC DID NOT WORK. SO AFTER WE CORRECTED, LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN WE GOT TO THE GATE, AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE WAS THERE TO MEET US. THERE NEVER WAS AN ISSUE AS TO THE SAFETY OF FLT. WE NEVER RECEIVED A TCASII ADVISORY OR SUCH AND OUR OVERSHOOT OF THE FINAL WAS NOT EXCESSIVE. PLUS WE WERE ON A VISUAL.

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.