Narrative:

We were being vectored for an ILS runway 30L at sjc. The WX that morning was reported as 21 broken, 40 overcast, and 10 mi visibility. Arrs could expect an ILS runway 30L to a visual since the cloud layer was so high. The first officer was the PF and I, the captain, was the PNF. Our arrival was from the north, and since we cross over the top of san francisco, bay approach had kept us high. We were at approximately 6000 ft MSL descending when we got the clearance to intercept the localizer on a 320 degree heading and maintain 3000 ft MSL until established, cleared for the approach. This vector put us on approximately a 10 mi final. The GS intercept altitude for that segment is 2700 ft MSL. Needless to say, we were very high and trying to slow down and go down at the same time. The first officer was tuned in to the ILS while I was tuned in to the sjc VOR. This is a common practice since the ILS does not have DME. Looking across the cockpit, I saw the first officer intercept the localizer, so I diverted my attention to configuring the aircraft as well as getting the before landing checklist completed. When I had finished completing the checklist, the first officer told me that he was getting intermittent GS flags, so I decided to join him on the ILS frequency on the #1 navigation. When it was idented, I noticed the first officer had drifted off course to the left, approximately 1 1/2 dots on the CDI. I told him to turn right and center the needle. In his preoccupation of trying to catch up with the GS, he had drifted to the left of course. Since I was not on the ILS frequency yet, I was unable to catch his error immediately. We ended up getting back on course and made a normal approach and landing. I think initially what caused the problem was bay approach vectoring us to intercept the ILS at too high of an altitude. The second problem I see is having each pilot on different frequencys. Although DME is not required for the approach, it is very nice to have to gauge whether you are too high until intercepting the GS. If I had been on the same frequency as my first officer, I would have immediately seen the initial deviation. But since I had to try to monitor the approach by looking across the cockpit, I could not initially catch the mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT DEVIATES FROM LOC.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 30L AT SJC. THE WX THAT MORNING WAS RPTED AS 21 BROKEN, 40 OVCST, AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. ARRS COULD EXPECT AN ILS RWY 30L TO A VISUAL SINCE THE CLOUD LAYER WAS SO HIGH. THE FO WAS THE PF AND I, THE CAPT, WAS THE PNF. OUR ARR WAS FROM THE N, AND SINCE WE CROSS OVER THE TOP OF SAN FRANCISCO, BAY APCH HAD KEPT US HIGH. WE WERE AT APPROX 6000 FT MSL DSNDING WHEN WE GOT THE CLRNC TO INTERCEPT THE LOC ON A 320 DEG HDG AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CLRED FOR THE APCH. THIS VECTOR PUT US ON APPROX A 10 MI FINAL. THE GS INTERCEPT ALT FOR THAT SEGMENT IS 2700 FT MSL. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WERE VERY HIGH AND TRYING TO SLOW DOWN AND GO DOWN AT THE SAME TIME. THE FO WAS TUNED IN TO THE ILS WHILE I WAS TUNED IN TO THE SJC VOR. THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE SINCE THE ILS DOES NOT HAVE DME. LOOKING ACROSS THE COCKPIT, I SAW THE FO INTERCEPT THE LOC, SO I DIVERTED MY ATTN TO CONFIGURING THE ACFT AS WELL AS GETTING THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST COMPLETED. WHEN I HAD FINISHED COMPLETING THE CHKLIST, THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GETTING INTERMITTENT GS FLAGS, SO I DECIDED TO JOIN HIM ON THE ILS FREQ ON THE #1 NAV. WHEN IT WAS IDENTED, I NOTICED THE FO HAD DRIFTED OFF COURSE TO THE L, APPROX 1 1/2 DOTS ON THE CDI. I TOLD HIM TO TURN R AND CTR THE NEEDLE. IN HIS PREOCCUPATION OF TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE GS, HE HAD DRIFTED TO THE L OF COURSE. SINCE I WAS NOT ON THE ILS FREQ YET, I WAS UNABLE TO CATCH HIS ERROR IMMEDIATELY. WE ENDED UP GETTING BACK ON COURSE AND MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. I THINK INITIALLY WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS BAY APCH VECTORING US TO INTERCEPT THE ILS AT TOO HIGH OF AN ALT. THE SECOND PROB I SEE IS HAVING EACH PLT ON DIFFERENT FREQS. ALTHOUGH DME IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE APCH, IT IS VERY NICE TO HAVE TO GAUGE WHETHER YOU ARE TOO HIGH UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE GS. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE SAME FREQ AS MY FO, I WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY SEEN THE INITIAL DEV. BUT SINCE I HAD TO TRY TO MONITOR THE APCH BY LOOKING ACROSS THE COCKPIT, I COULD NOT INITIALLY CATCH THE MISTAKE.

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.