Narrative:

Background aircraft X was inbound to sjc from ave. He could see mry and requested change destination to mry and went direct. Mry approach closes at XA00, but did stay open until XB00 to get 4 aircraft in using runway 28L. WX was ok to the east. Otherwise center takes airspace and it is 1 in 1 out non radar. As aircraft X got near mry he requested approach to be safe. So, I issued vector to parallel localizer mry was closed. Vectored aircraft X far out over water to lose altitude gave a 130 degree heading to intercept runway 10R at or above 2100 ft. Saw aircraft turn to 070 degrees. Luckily got radio contact and told to climb to 7000 ft. He said something was funny with the runway 10R localizer. I asked him to double-check identify because runway 28 localizer/DME is not on same frequency. While this was going on, got call from mry from out of breath and panic controller asking if someone was trying to land at mry. He forgot to switch over to runway 10R ILS after the late night use of runway 28 localizer/DME. (Normal SOP is runway 10R for mid operations -- we have no control or indication of NAVAID at mry.) by luck I provided vectors to aircraft X. Normal plan is establish on route sns-mr or V27-mr and terminate radar well before mry. He was still on frequency although not at first, until the line of sight opened up so he could hear me. No other planes around to relay. He was getting reversed sensing and was confused. Also I don't think he idented the NAVAID. Also, by the way he arrived and requested the approach, the vectors for intercept, actually took the aircraft to both sides of the final approach course, making a mental picture of the direction of intercept harder. Pilot even said he was south of course when in fact he was north. It never occurred to him he was on the back course until we discussed to identify NAVAID and mry controller called. We need to make sure runway 10R ILS is on at night and pilots need to still identify NAVAID. Aircraft X went to sjc and landed safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOA ARTCC CTLR CLRED A CPR CL600 FOR ILS APCH TO RWY 10 AT MRY, BUT ILS EQUIP HAD NOT BEEN SWITCHED OVER FROM THE RWY 28L ILS.

Narrative: BACKGROUND ACFT X WAS INBOUND TO SJC FROM AVE. HE COULD SEE MRY AND REQUESTED CHANGE DEST TO MRY AND WENT DIRECT. MRY APCH CLOSES AT XA00, BUT DID STAY OPEN UNTIL XB00 TO GET 4 ACFT IN USING RWY 28L. WX WAS OK TO THE E. OTHERWISE CTR TAKES AIRSPACE AND IT IS 1 IN 1 OUT NON RADAR. AS ACFT X GOT NEAR MRY HE REQUESTED APCH TO BE SAFE. SO, I ISSUED VECTOR TO PARALLEL LOC MRY WAS CLOSED. VECTORED ACFT X FAR OUT OVER WATER TO LOSE ALT GAVE A 130 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT RWY 10R AT OR ABOVE 2100 FT. SAW ACFT TURN TO 070 DEGS. LUCKILY GOT RADIO CONTACT AND TOLD TO CLB TO 7000 FT. HE SAID SOMETHING WAS FUNNY WITH THE RWY 10R LOC. I ASKED HIM TO DOUBLE-CHK IDENT BECAUSE RWY 28 LOC/DME IS NOT ON SAME FREQ. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, GOT CALL FROM MRY FROM OUT OF BREATH AND PANIC CTLR ASKING IF SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO LAND AT MRY. HE FORGOT TO SWITCH OVER TO RWY 10R ILS AFTER THE LATE NIGHT USE OF RWY 28 LOC/DME. (NORMAL SOP IS RWY 10R FOR MID OPS -- WE HAVE NO CTL OR INDICATION OF NAVAID AT MRY.) BY LUCK I PROVIDED VECTORS TO ACFT X. NORMAL PLAN IS ESTABLISH ON RTE SNS-MR OR V27-MR AND TERMINATE RADAR WELL BEFORE MRY. HE WAS STILL ON FREQ ALTHOUGH NOT AT FIRST, UNTIL THE LINE OF SIGHT OPENED UP SO HE COULD HEAR ME. NO OTHER PLANES AROUND TO RELAY. HE WAS GETTING REVERSED SENSING AND WAS CONFUSED. ALSO I DON'T THINK HE IDENTED THE NAVAID. ALSO, BY THE WAY HE ARRIVED AND REQUESTED THE APCH, THE VECTORS FOR INTERCEPT, ACTUALLY TOOK THE ACFT TO BOTH SIDES OF THE FINAL APCH COURSE, MAKING A MENTAL PICTURE OF THE DIRECTION OF INTERCEPT HARDER. PLT EVEN SAID HE WAS S OF COURSE WHEN IN FACT HE WAS N. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO HIM HE WAS ON THE BACK COURSE UNTIL WE DISCUSSED TO IDENT NAVAID AND MRY CTLR CALLED. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE RWY 10R ILS IS ON AT NIGHT AND PLTS NEED TO STILL IDENT NAVAID. ACFT X WENT TO SJC AND LANDED SAFELY.

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.