Narrative:

Flight had been cleared for the converging ILS runway 35 at phl. Wind from east at approximately 5 KTS. Decision ht was 600 ft AGL. Ceiling few at either 600 or 700 ft, visibility 2.5 mi, 2 mi required for the approach. Cleared for the approach, cleared to land. Had solid ground contact early in the approach. First officer missed a couple of approach calls. At 100 ft above minimums. I said 'anything?' he replied, 'well, I don't.' I continued on the approach right above minimums, I looked up and saw what I thought was the runway, pointed it out to the first officer and continued. 5-10 seconds later it became apparent, that what I thought was the runway was actually a road 1000 ft east of the runway. Runway also was in sight, I was a bit high (GS full scale), and left (3/4 scale) but was able to land using normal maneuvers so we landed. This all happened very quick. Facts: 1) first officer's uneasiness about what we saw, led me to look also. This is deviation from standard. PF is inside always. The first officer was talking to me but not communicating. I needed 'no contact' or 'continue' not 'um.' regardless, I should be more disciplined than to look up. That's how I lost the GS and localizer. 2) another factor was the approach was 600 ft 2 DME, in my mind not a 'low approach. Mentally I had only prepared to land, thinking with those minimums, it would be no problem, it was my reluctance to believe the first officer had no contact. 3) I picked up the road quite easily, even though I wasn't supposed to be looking. With the wind as it were, I think the center post of the windshield blocked the runway from my view. For some reason the first officer couldn't see it. The GS/localizer deviation occurred when I visually maneuvered to the 'runway,' in this case a road, which where I was coming was further away from us than the actual runway, were going high on the GS. 4) with a 600 ft decision ht, a 3.0 degree GS that puts us right at 2 mi, the road and runway were hard to distinguish, especially given the fact that the approach lights were not on. The first thing that caught my eye on the actual runway was the VASI, the approach lights were not on. Perhaps ATC got suckered by the 2 mi visibility just like I did. 5) I knew if we missed we had to go to our alternate, minor but I was thinking about it. I still saw what I thought was the runway at a legal point on the approach, however this may have led to me searching without the first officer. 6) we were coming off a reduced rest overnight, very short. Lessons: 1) an IAP near minimums should always have lights on, I will now try to brief this. 2) I will always fly IAP's as if I'm going to miss until I hear 'runway in sight' from the PNF. 3) as a professional, I know I will screw up from time to time. In actuality the same things that led to this, allowed for a quick recovery. Also as a professional, I must know that there are lessons to be learned here that might be harder to know if this happens in a lower approach. I have always tried to not be the guy who says 'what were these idiots doing' because as I found today, anything can happen to anyone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DO328 CREW WHILE FLYING AN ILS AT PHL MISTOOK A ROAD FOR THE RWY CAUSING MUCH CONFUSION DURING THE LAST 600 FT OF THE APCH.

Narrative: FLT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE CONVERGING ILS RWY 35 AT PHL. WIND FROM E AT APPROX 5 KTS. DECISION HT WAS 600 FT AGL. CEILING FEW AT EITHER 600 OR 700 FT, VISIBILITY 2.5 MI, 2 MI REQUIRED FOR THE APCH. CLRED FOR THE APCH, CLRED TO LAND. HAD SOLID GND CONTACT EARLY IN THE APCH. FO MISSED A COUPLE OF APCH CALLS. AT 100 FT ABOVE MINIMUMS. I SAID 'ANYTHING?' HE REPLIED, 'WELL, I DON'T.' I CONTINUED ON THE APCH RIGHT ABOVE MINIMUMS, I LOOKED UP AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY, POINTED IT OUT TO THE FO AND CONTINUED. 5-10 SECONDS LATER IT BECAME APPARENT, THAT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY WAS ACTUALLY A ROAD 1000 FT E OF THE RWY. RWY ALSO WAS IN SIGHT, I WAS A BIT HIGH (GS FULL SCALE), AND L (3/4 SCALE) BUT WAS ABLE TO LAND USING NORMAL MANEUVERS SO WE LANDED. THIS ALL HAPPENED VERY QUICK. FACTS: 1) FO'S UNEASINESS ABOUT WHAT WE SAW, LED ME TO LOOK ALSO. THIS IS DEV FROM STANDARD. PF IS INSIDE ALWAYS. THE FO WAS TALKING TO ME BUT NOT COMMUNICATING. I NEEDED 'NO CONTACT' OR 'CONTINUE' NOT 'UM.' REGARDLESS, I SHOULD BE MORE DISCIPLINED THAN TO LOOK UP. THAT'S HOW I LOST THE GS AND LOC. 2) ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE APCH WAS 600 FT 2 DME, IN MY MIND NOT A 'LOW APCH. MENTALLY I HAD ONLY PREPARED TO LAND, THINKING WITH THOSE MINIMUMS, IT WOULD BE NO PROB, IT WAS MY RELUCTANCE TO BELIEVE THE FO HAD NO CONTACT. 3) I PICKED UP THE ROAD QUITE EASILY, EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING. WITH THE WIND AS IT WERE, I THINK THE CTR POST OF THE WINDSHIELD BLOCKED THE RWY FROM MY VIEW. FOR SOME REASON THE FO COULDN'T SEE IT. THE GS/LOC DEV OCCURRED WHEN I VISUALLY MANEUVERED TO THE 'RWY,' IN THIS CASE A ROAD, WHICH WHERE I WAS COMING WAS FURTHER AWAY FROM US THAN THE ACTUAL RWY, WERE GOING HIGH ON THE GS. 4) WITH A 600 FT DECISION HT, A 3.0 DEG GS THAT PUTS US RIGHT AT 2 MI, THE ROAD AND RWY WERE HARD TO DISTINGUISH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE APCH LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. THE FIRST THING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE ON THE ACTUAL RWY WAS THE VASI, THE APCH LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. PERHAPS ATC GOT SUCKERED BY THE 2 MI VISIBILITY JUST LIKE I DID. 5) I KNEW IF WE MISSED WE HAD TO GO TO OUR ALTERNATE, MINOR BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT. I STILL SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY AT A LEGAL POINT ON THE APCH, HOWEVER THIS MAY HAVE LED TO ME SEARCHING WITHOUT THE FO. 6) WE WERE COMING OFF A REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT, VERY SHORT. LESSONS: 1) AN IAP NEAR MINIMUMS SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE LIGHTS ON, I WILL NOW TRY TO BRIEF THIS. 2) I WILL ALWAYS FLY IAP'S AS IF I'M GOING TO MISS UNTIL I HEAR 'RWY IN SIGHT' FROM THE PNF. 3) AS A PROFESSIONAL, I KNOW I WILL SCREW UP FROM TIME TO TIME. IN ACTUALITY THE SAME THINGS THAT LED TO THIS, ALLOWED FOR A QUICK RECOVERY. ALSO AS A PROFESSIONAL, I MUST KNOW THAT THERE ARE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED HERE THAT MIGHT BE HARDER TO KNOW IF THIS HAPPENS IN A LOWER APCH. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO NOT BE THE GUY WHO SAYS 'WHAT WERE THESE IDIOTS DOING' BECAUSE AS I FOUND TODAY, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.

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.