Narrative:

Flying from ord direct cvg in a B737-200 on the first leg of the second day of a 4 day rotation. This particular B737 is different from the rest of the 200 fleet. It has a manual autoplt which allows control stick steering. It has no altitude capture and is CAT I restr. The flight director gives a steering cue, but the pitch must be set manually. This was my first time in this aircraft. I had flown it to ord the previous night and was now the PNF on the leg back to cvg. The copilot was also unfamiliar, with about the same experience in type as me. Upon arrival into cvg we were instructed to intercept the cvg runway 18R localizer. I tuned in the frequency for runway 18L localizer. My approach plates were in my manual with runway 18L&right plates open, side-by-side. As the WX was VFR and once we were within visual contact with the field (about 7-10 mi), we would accept a visual approach, I left my plates in my manual. The copilot had placed his runway 18R plate on his yoke clipboard, but as he was busy trying to manage an unfamiliar autoplt and cockpit during a busy time, he failed to doublechk the correct frequency. We, therefore, intercepted the wrong localizer and caused another aircraft to be vectored out of our way before we were vectored off the runway 18L localizer and to our proper localizer, runway 18R. In a sense, we were set up for making a mistake. Our training for this aircraft consisted of looking at a set of computer slides. In both cases (mine and the first officer's) this was over 6 months ago. Because of the extra time needed just to fly and monitor, we got out of our habit patterns. Even so, especially when I am in an unfamiliar aircraft, I should be extra vigilant and in this I failed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING B727-200 INTO CVG BECOMES DISTR ON APCH BECAUSE OF UNFAMILIARITY WITH AVIONICS EQUIP RESULTING IN A TRACK DEV.

Narrative: FLYING FROM ORD DIRECT CVG IN A B737-200 ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE SECOND DAY OF A 4 DAY ROTATION. THIS PARTICULAR B737 IS DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE 200 FLEET. IT HAS A MANUAL AUTOPLT WHICH ALLOWS CTL STICK STEERING. IT HAS NO ALT CAPTURE AND IS CAT I RESTR. THE FLT DIRECTOR GIVES A STEERING CUE, BUT THE PITCH MUST BE SET MANUALLY. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS ACFT. I HAD FLOWN IT TO ORD THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND WAS NOW THE PNF ON THE LEG BACK TO CVG. THE COPLT WAS ALSO UNFAMILIAR, WITH ABOUT THE SAME EXPERIENCE IN TYPE AS ME. UPON ARR INTO CVG WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO INTERCEPT THE CVG RWY 18R LOC. I TUNED IN THE FREQ FOR RWY 18L LOC. MY APCH PLATES WERE IN MY MANUAL WITH RWY 18L&R PLATES OPEN, SIDE-BY-SIDE. AS THE WX WAS VFR AND ONCE WE WERE WITHIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FIELD (ABOUT 7-10 MI), WE WOULD ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH, I LEFT MY PLATES IN MY MANUAL. THE COPLT HAD PLACED HIS RWY 18R PLATE ON HIS YOKE CLIPBOARD, BUT AS HE WAS BUSY TRYING TO MANAGE AN UNFAMILIAR AUTOPLT AND COCKPIT DURING A BUSY TIME, HE FAILED TO DOUBLECHK THE CORRECT FREQ. WE, THEREFORE, INTERCEPTED THE WRONG LOC AND CAUSED ANOTHER ACFT TO BE VECTORED OUT OF OUR WAY BEFORE WE WERE VECTORED OFF THE RWY 18L LOC AND TO OUR PROPER LOC, RWY 18R. IN A SENSE, WE WERE SET UP FOR MAKING A MISTAKE. OUR TRAINING FOR THIS ACFT CONSISTED OF LOOKING AT A SET OF COMPUTER SLIDES. IN BOTH CASES (MINE AND THE FO'S) THIS WAS OVER 6 MONTHS AGO. BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA TIME NEEDED JUST TO FLY AND MONITOR, WE GOT OUT OF OUR HABIT PATTERNS. EVEN SO, ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM IN AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT, I SHOULD BE EXTRA VIGILANT AND IN THIS I FAILED.

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.