Narrative:

We approached oma on a westerly heading about 10-12 NM north of the field and anticipated runway 18, but were vectored to runway 14R. Visibility was 6 mi in haze, and the sun was in our eyes as approach told us to call the field in sight for the visual approach. I asked for an additional 30 degrees left because our vector was keeping us 10 mi from the field and the sun angle made the conditions too difficult to pick up the airfield. (We were essentially on a left base position to the runway.) approach then gave a vector further left to join the runway 14R localizer. We switched localizer frequency and course for runway 14R, and as the localizer began to center (heading select and localizer armed on the autoplt) I went outside to acquire the runway. We were now at about 6 mi. I looked back in at the localizer and watched it begin to center, then went back outside looking for the runway. Not seeing the field, I went back inside to the localizer expecting to see us tracking it inbound, but immediately saw we were well left of course because I had failed to set the localizer inbound course on my HSI, and the first officer had not recognized it either. I made a turn back to course and acquired the runway and the airfield off to our right. At the same time, approach told us to turn left heading 030 degrees, and maintain 3000 ft. I told my first officer to let them know we had the field, which he did, but they opted to vector us around for a new approach. I asked approach if there were any problems due to our approach/missed approach, and they replied 'no.' I called both approach and tower from the gate to be sure everything was ok and they once again said no problems were generated from our situation. Contributing factors: the sun angle basically made VMC conditions almost into IMC due to the reduced visibility. We did the correct thing in setting up the approach, but my leaving the previous localizer course set for runway 18 was a factor in us going well left of course while I was searching for the runway. We were configured and slow enough to correct back to course to reintercept the localizer, but the decision by approach to send us around was adequate. We had been told to expect the visual approach which may have also contributed to my mindset being more geared for a visual rather than instrument approach. I also should have insured that the autoplt went into the capture mode for the localizer before going outside to search for the runway. Simply watching the localizer begin to 'center up' is not enough. From the physiological standpoint, I was also a bit tired. I am normally an am flyer (commuter) and have been stuck on pm trips for march and april. The most valuable lessons learned are: full verification of all approach frequencys and courses by both pilots, and not searching outside for the runway until verifying that the autoplt has captured the desired course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B733 WERE UNABLE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS DUE TO GLARE FROM SUN. INST FLT ASSISTANCE WAS UNAVAILABLE BECAUSE THE AIRBORNE ILS SYS WAS INCORRECTLY CONFIGURED. TWR DIRECTED A GAR.

Narrative: WE APCHED OMA ON A WESTERLY HEADING ABOUT 10-12 NM N OF THE FIELD AND ANTICIPATED RWY 18, BUT WERE VECTORED TO RWY 14R. VISIBILITY WAS 6 MI IN HAZE, AND THE SUN WAS IN OUR EYES AS APCH TOLD US TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 DEGS L BECAUSE OUR VECTOR WAS KEEPING US 10 MI FROM THE FIELD AND THE SUN ANGLE MADE THE CONDITIONS TOO DIFFICULT TO PICK UP THE AIRFIELD. (WE WERE ESSENTIALLY ON A L BASE POS TO THE RWY.) APCH THEN GAVE A VECTOR FURTHER L TO JOIN THE RWY 14R LOC. WE SWITCHED LOC FREQ AND COURSE FOR RWY 14R, AND AS THE LOC BEGAN TO CTR (HEADING SELECT AND LOC ARMED ON THE AUTOPLT) I WENT OUTSIDE TO ACQUIRE THE RWY. WE WERE NOW AT ABOUT 6 MI. I LOOKED BACK IN AT THE LOC AND WATCHED IT BEGIN TO CTR, THEN WENT BACK OUTSIDE LOOKING FOR THE RWY. NOT SEEING THE FIELD, I WENT BACK INSIDE TO THE LOC EXPECTING TO SEE US TRACKING IT INBOUND, BUT IMMEDIATELY SAW WE WERE WELL L OF COURSE BECAUSE I HAD FAILED TO SET THE LOC INBOUND COURSE ON MY HSI, AND THE FO HAD NOT RECOGNIZED IT EITHER. I MADE A TURN BACK TO COURSE AND ACQUIRED THE RWY AND THE AIRFIELD OFF TO OUR R. AT THE SAME TIME, APCH TOLD US TO TURN L HEADING 030 DEGS, AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. I TOLD MY FO TO LET THEM KNOW WE HAD THE FIELD, WHICH HE DID, BUT THEY OPTED TO VECTOR US AROUND FOR A NEW APCH. I ASKED APCH IF THERE WERE ANY PROBS DUE TO OUR APCH/MISSED APCH, AND THEY REPLIED 'NO.' I CALLED BOTH APCH AND TWR FROM THE GATE TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OK AND THEY ONCE AGAIN SAID NO PROBS WERE GENERATED FROM OUR SIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE SUN ANGLE BASICALLY MADE VMC CONDITIONS ALMOST INTO IMC DUE TO THE REDUCED VISIBILITY. WE DID THE CORRECT THING IN SETTING UP THE APCH, BUT MY LEAVING THE PREVIOUS LOC COURSE SET FOR RWY 18 WAS A FACTOR IN US GOING WELL L OF COURSE WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR THE RWY. WE WERE CONFIGURED AND SLOW ENOUGH TO CORRECT BACK TO COURSE TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC, BUT THE DECISION BY APCH TO SEND US AROUND WAS ADEQUATE. WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT THE VISUAL APCH WHICH MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO MY MINDSET BEING MORE GEARED FOR A VISUAL RATHER THAN INST APCH. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE INSURED THAT THE AUTOPLT WENT INTO THE CAPTURE MODE FOR THE LOC BEFORE GOING OUTSIDE TO SEARCH FOR THE RWY. SIMPLY WATCHING THE LOC BEGIN TO 'CTR UP' IS NOT ENOUGH. FROM THE PHYSIOLOGICAL STANDPOINT, I WAS ALSO A BIT TIRED. I AM NORMALLY AN AM FLYER (COMMUTER) AND HAVE BEEN STUCK ON PM TRIPS FOR MARCH AND APRIL. THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS LEARNED ARE: FULL VERIFICATION OF ALL APCH FREQS AND COURSES BY BOTH PLTS, AND NOT SEARCHING OUTSIDE FOR THE RWY UNTIL VERIFYING THAT THE AUTOPLT HAS CAPTURED THE DESIRED COURSE.

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.