A DC9 crew, on final to dtw, set the wrong ILS frequency in navigation radios, flew through assigned...

Attributes
ACN	532736
Time
Date	200112
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Ice Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d21.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer only : 3r other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	532736
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Accidentally set wrong ILS frequency in navigation control heads. First officer flying ILS approach, captain had VOR set in navigation for crossing fixes. First officer decided to make coupled autoplt approach. This required captain to reset navigation radio to ILS frequency. Captain looked at first officer's frequency and set same. During process of trying to identify flew through localizer. Both pilots and controller seemed to notice problem at same time. We had just reset correct frequency when ATC advised heading to re-intercept localizer and check localizer frequency. Factors: ILS runway 4L at dtw is 111.95 -- identify is ihjt. ILS runway 3R at dtw is 111.5 identify is ihuu. We had earlier expected approach to runway 4L. This might have caused us to set in wrong frequency 111.95 when we should have set 111.5. Additional factor: icing conditions requiring higher than normal power setting, making it difficult to slow down and descend per ATC instructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 CREW, ON FINAL TO DTW, SET THE WRONG ILS FREQ IN NAV RADIOS, FLEW THROUGH ASSIGNED LOC COURSE.

Narrative: ACCIDENTALLY SET WRONG ILS FREQ IN NAV CTL HEADS. FO FLYING ILS APCH, CAPT HAD VOR SET IN NAV FOR XING FIXES. FO DECIDED TO MAKE COUPLED AUTOPLT APCH. THIS REQUIRED CAPT TO RESET NAV RADIO TO ILS FREQ. CAPT LOOKED AT FO'S FREQ AND SET SAME. DURING PROCESS OF TRYING TO IDENT FLEW THROUGH LOC. BOTH PLTS AND CTLR SEEMED TO NOTICE PROB AT SAME TIME. WE HAD JUST RESET CORRECT FREQ WHEN ATC ADVISED HEADING TO RE-INTERCEPT LOC AND CHK LOC FREQ. FACTORS: ILS RWY 4L AT DTW IS 111.95 -- IDENT IS IHJT. ILS RWY 3R AT DTW IS 111.5 IDENT IS IHUU. WE HAD EARLIER EXPECTED APCH TO RWY 4L. THIS MIGHT HAVE CAUSED US TO SET IN WRONG FREQ 111.95 WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE SET 111.5. ADDITIONAL FACTOR: ICING CONDITIONS REQUIRING HIGHER THAN NORMAL PWR SETTING, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SLOW DOWN AND DSND PER ATC INSTRUCTIONS.

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.

A DC9 crew, on final to dtw, set the wrong ILS frequency in navigation radios, flew through assigned localizer course.