A B727-200 crew, on intercept heading for an ILS to atl, experienced irregular localizer deflections on the captain's CDI, resulting in a corrective vector from ATC.

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Attributes
ACN	557959
Time
Date	200208
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a80.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 26r
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	557959
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	557960
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event : passenger electronic device cabin event : passenger misconduct inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cdi other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : executed go around
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching atl from southwest told to expect runway 27L. Subsequently changed and given ILS runway 26R. Numerous deviations due to thunderstorms in local area. Approach gave turn to 240 degrees to intercept localizer to runway 26R. Captain PF noted irregular deviations on his CDI. First officer late switching to new localizer frequency due to using WX radar. Captain commanded on CDI deviations as first officer switching to localizer. Captain's CDI went to full right deflection and captain started right turn to go back. Intercept verified by first officer's CDI. At that time, ATC directed flight turn to 180 degrees and maintain 4500 ft due to passing through localizer. Subsequent approach was normal. After flight, flight attendant reported that on approach, a cell phone was ringing in the cabin and passenger answered call. She was unable to locate which passenger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: while on the intercept heading, reporter's localizer needle seemed erratic, leading him to believe something was wrong with his receiver. By the time the first officer's ILS was tuned in, they had gone through the localizer. At that point ATC, due to the WX and the heavy volume of traffic, issued a go around. No further information regarding possible cell phone interference was forthcoming.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 CREW, ON INTERCEPT HDG FOR AN ILS TO ATL, EXPERIENCED IRREGULAR LOC DEFLECTIONS ON THE CAPT'S CDI, RESULTING IN A CORRECTIVE VECTOR FROM ATC.

Narrative: APCHING ATL FROM SW TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 27L. SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED AND GIVEN ILS RWY 26R. NUMEROUS DEVS DUE TO TSTMS IN LCL AREA. APCH GAVE TURN TO 240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT LOC TO RWY 26R. CAPT PF NOTED IRREGULAR DEVS ON HIS CDI. FO LATE SWITCHING TO NEW LOC FREQ DUE TO USING WX RADAR. CAPT COMMANDED ON CDI DEVS AS FO SWITCHING TO LOC. CAPT'S CDI WENT TO FULL R DEFLECTION AND CAPT STARTED R TURN TO GO BACK. INTERCEPT VERIFIED BY FO'S CDI. AT THAT TIME, ATC DIRECTED FLT TURN TO 180 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4500 FT DUE TO PASSING THROUGH LOC. SUBSEQUENT APCH WAS NORMAL. AFTER FLT, FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT ON APCH, A CELL PHONE WAS RINGING IN THE CABIN AND PAX ANSWERED CALL. SHE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE WHICH PAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHILE ON THE INTERCEPT HDG, RPTR'S LOC NEEDLE SEEMED ERRATIC, LEADING HIM TO BELIEVE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HIS RECEIVER. BY THE TIME THE FO'S ILS WAS TUNED IN, THEY HAD GONE THROUGH THE LOC. AT THAT POINT ATC, DUE TO THE WX AND THE HVY VOLUME OF TFC, ISSUED A GAR. NO FURTHER INFO REGARDING POSSIBLE CELL PHONE INTERFERENCE WAS FORTHCOMING.

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.