Narrative:

Occasional moderate turbulence and heavy rain. Shortly before commencing approach, the runway was changed from the briefed runway 19R to runway 1L back course. After a quick change of the navigation equipment and rebrief of the approach, we commenced the approach. As first officer, I had raw ILS selected on HSI, the needles showed us needing to fly left and slightly left of the magenta line. As we approached tip over, the approach did not look right and the captain decided to go around at the same time the tower called well left of course. While setting up for the second approach, the captain noticed the wrong course selected in the ILS control head. Subsequent approach was uneventful. I attributed the go around to a late runway change, poor WX and first officer inexperience with back course approachs. I have never flown a back course approach and poor WX and late runway change did not help. Finding the mistake after the go around jogged my memory regarding ILS setup for back course approachs taught at the academy. I personally have reviewed non precision approachs, so I will be prepared next time. We did not get below 1700 ft during the first approach, so I don't believe there was any infraction. Supplemental information from acn 499787: first officer, who was not high time in aircraft and had never done a localizer back course approach, had switched it 180 degrees, thinking it should show inbound course. Real soul-searching were of my own actions. While I had briefed all the required items for the approach, it was very rushed in trying conditions. I believe I did say 'course selection remains 194 degrees', but if I did, it obviously did not register. I should have made time to brief the approach so all items were heard and understood, instead of rushing. I was not mentally prepared for a non precision approach, which I had not done since last recurrent, and hadn't taken the time to review go around procedures in my mind, so it ended up sloppy. Lesson is one of many we have to relearn periodically -- don't rush procedures to please ATC or to feed your own can-do ego.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SNA TWR ALERT B752 OF COURSE DEV AS FLC DISCOVER THEY HAVE INCORRECTLY SET UP APCH FROM ILS RWY 19 TO LOC BACK COURSE RWY 1L.

Narrative: OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB AND HVY RAIN. SHORTLY BEFORE COMMENCING APCH, THE RWY WAS CHANGED FROM THE BRIEFED RWY 19R TO RWY 1L BACK COURSE. AFTER A QUICK CHANGE OF THE NAV EQUIP AND REBRIEF OF THE APCH, WE COMMENCED THE APCH. AS FO, I HAD RAW ILS SELECTED ON HSI, THE NEEDLES SHOWED US NEEDING TO FLY L AND SLIGHTLY L OF THE MAGENTA LINE. AS WE APCHED TIP OVER, THE APCH DID NOT LOOK RIGHT AND THE CAPT DECIDED TO GAR AT THE SAME TIME THE TWR CALLED WELL L OF COURSE. WHILE SETTING UP FOR THE SECOND APCH, THE CAPT NOTICED THE WRONG COURSE SELECTED IN THE ILS CTL HEAD. SUBSEQUENT APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. I ATTRIBUTED THE GAR TO A LATE RWY CHANGE, POOR WX AND FO INEXPERIENCE WITH BACK COURSE APCHS. I HAVE NEVER FLOWN A BACK COURSE APCH AND POOR WX AND LATE RWY CHANGE DID NOT HELP. FINDING THE MISTAKE AFTER THE GAR JOGGED MY MEMORY REGARDING ILS SETUP FOR BACK COURSE APCHS TAUGHT AT THE ACADEMY. I PERSONALLY HAVE REVIEWED NON PRECISION APCHS, SO I WILL BE PREPARED NEXT TIME. WE DID NOT GET BELOW 1700 FT DURING THE FIRST APCH, SO I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY INFRACTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 499787: FO, WHO WAS NOT HIGH TIME IN ACFT AND HAD NEVER DONE A LOC BACK COURSE APCH, HAD SWITCHED IT 180 DEGS, THINKING IT SHOULD SHOW INBOUND COURSE. REAL SOUL-SEARCHING WERE OF MY OWN ACTIONS. WHILE I HAD BRIEFED ALL THE REQUIRED ITEMS FOR THE APCH, IT WAS VERY RUSHED IN TRYING CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE I DID SAY 'COURSE SELECTION REMAINS 194 DEGS', BUT IF I DID, IT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT REGISTER. I SHOULD HAVE MADE TIME TO BRIEF THE APCH SO ALL ITEMS WERE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD, INSTEAD OF RUSHING. I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR A NON PRECISION APCH, WHICH I HAD NOT DONE SINCE LAST RECURRENT, AND HADN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO REVIEW GAR PROCS IN MY MIND, SO IT ENDED UP SLOPPY. LESSON IS ONE OF MANY WE HAVE TO RELEARN PERIODICALLY -- DON'T RUSH PROCS TO PLEASE ATC OR TO FEED YOUR OWN CAN-DO EGO.

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.