Narrative:

On oct/xa/01, I was sic on a beechcraft king air 200. The flight was from phl to cdw, which is our home base. At the time I was the PF. We were cleared to the ard VOR and then to the metropolitan intersection. While approaching the ard VOR, we listened to the cdw ATIS which indicated that the localizer runway 22 approach was in use due to IFR conditions of less than 2 mi visibility. I asked the PIC to set the radios for the approach. The PIC set both navigation radios for the localizer frequency. I noticed that the PIC failed to put snafu (IAF) into the GPS, which I did. As we made the turn onto the localizer, I asked the PIC to call snafu so I could start the descent. The PIC called snafu, at which point I dropped the landing gear and started a descent to 860 ft. At 1300 ft, the cdw controller asked if we knew we were 2 mi before snafu. Upon hearing this, I climbed back up to 2000 ft. At no point in the descent did the PIC indicate that I had broken below minimums. Only the PIC had access to information as to our relative position to snafu as the GPS is located at the rear of the pedestal requiring a 'heads down' maneuver and therefore hard to see. The moving map is on the copilot's side, where the PIC was sitting. What I learned from this event was the importance of using all the tools available to you. On the pilot side is an RMI, which, when both navigation radios are tuned to the localizer, will not provide bearing information for crossing a fix. We should have had the second navigation radio tuned to teb VOR so as to indicate the crossing radial depicting passage of snafu and kolli fixes. The PNF should monitor the localizer approach using both the pilot's flying HSI (for tracking the localizer) and the copilot's HSI for noting the crossing radial indicating passage of the fixes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE20 CREW DSNDED EARLY WHILE FLYING A LOC APCH.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/01, I WAS SIC ON A BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 200. THE FLT WAS FROM PHL TO CDW, WHICH IS OUR HOME BASE. AT THE TIME I WAS THE PF. WE WERE CLRED TO THE ARD VOR AND THEN TO THE METRO INTXN. WHILE APCHING THE ARD VOR, WE LISTENED TO THE CDW ATIS WHICH INDICATED THAT THE LOC RWY 22 APCH WAS IN USE DUE TO IFR CONDITIONS OF LESS THAN 2 MI VISIBILITY. I ASKED THE PIC TO SET THE RADIOS FOR THE APCH. THE PIC SET BOTH NAV RADIOS FOR THE LOC FREQ. I NOTICED THAT THE PIC FAILED TO PUT SNAFU (IAF) INTO THE GPS, WHICH I DID. AS WE MADE THE TURN ONTO THE LOC, I ASKED THE PIC TO CALL SNAFU SO I COULD START THE DSCNT. THE PIC CALLED SNAFU, AT WHICH POINT I DROPPED THE LNDG GEAR AND STARTED A DSCNT TO 860 FT. AT 1300 FT, THE CDW CTLR ASKED IF WE KNEW WE WERE 2 MI BEFORE SNAFU. UPON HEARING THIS, I CLBED BACK UP TO 2000 FT. AT NO POINT IN THE DSCNT DID THE PIC INDICATE THAT I HAD BROKEN BELOW MINIMUMS. ONLY THE PIC HAD ACCESS TO INFO AS TO OUR RELATIVE POS TO SNAFU AS THE GPS IS LOCATED AT THE REAR OF THE PEDESTAL REQUIRING A 'HEADS DOWN' MANEUVER AND THEREFORE HARD TO SEE. THE MOVING MAP IS ON THE COPLT'S SIDE, WHERE THE PIC WAS SITTING. WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS EVENT WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF USING ALL THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO YOU. ON THE PLT SIDE IS AN RMI, WHICH, WHEN BOTH NAV RADIOS ARE TUNED TO THE LOC, WILL NOT PROVIDE BEARING INFO FOR XING A FIX. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THE SECOND NAV RADIO TUNED TO TEB VOR SO AS TO INDICATE THE XING RADIAL DEPICTING PASSAGE OF SNAFU AND KOLLI FIXES. THE PNF SHOULD MONITOR THE LOC APCH USING BOTH THE PLT'S FLYING HSI (FOR TRACKING THE LOC) AND THE COPLT'S HSI FOR NOTING THE XING RADIAL INDICATING PASSAGE OF THE FIXES.

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.