Narrative:

WX reported at the field was 1900 ft overcast, 9 mi, the visibility seemed more like 4 or 5 mi in haze. Socal approach vectored us for a VOR runway 30 approach and we were vectored from the south side of the inbound course to sli. Both I and the first officer who was flying expected to see the airport visually well before the missed approach. Approach vectored us very close to the VOR FAF at a sharp angle. The first officer stated he had the airport in sight before the VOR FAF. I told him I did not see it. The first officer was flying with the GPS set up to fly the approach. The navigation captured right near the FAF and was unable to track outbound on the proper radial for the approach due to the intercept angle we were flying. Approach asked if we were turning outbound on the 275 degree radial to the airport. This is when I first realized we were not turning on the radial outbound. I did have raw data displayed on my his, but I was spending a lot of time looking for the runway. We contacted tower and they issued us a low altitude alert and told us to check our altitude. This further confused the issue because we were actually high and had not even started our descent from the FAF. In addition we were somewhat on a right base leg for the runway and were also issued a traffic alert for another aircraft that departed lgb. Later I asked the first officer why he didn't line up with the runway when he told me he had it in sight? He said he did not want to proceed visually without myself also seeing the runway. This was my 4TH day straight flying and over 27 hours in that time with a late night WX diversion the previous night. I felt fatigued during the second half of the trip and this did not help the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 CREW HAD A TRACK DEV AND AN MSAW ON THE VOR RWY 30 AT LGB. THE FO, THE PF, WAS ATTEMPTING A GPS APCH.

Narrative: WX RPTED AT THE FIELD WAS 1900 FT OVCST, 9 MI, THE VISIBILITY SEEMED MORE LIKE 4 OR 5 MI IN HAZE. SOCAL APCH VECTORED US FOR A VOR RWY 30 APCH AND WE WERE VECTORED FROM THE S SIDE OF THE INBOUND COURSE TO SLI. BOTH I AND THE FO WHO WAS FLYING EXPECTED TO SEE THE ARPT VISUALLY WELL BEFORE THE MISSED APCH. APCH VECTORED US VERY CLOSE TO THE VOR FAF AT A SHARP ANGLE. THE FO STATED HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BEFORE THE VOR FAF. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT SEE IT. THE FO WAS FLYING WITH THE GPS SET UP TO FLY THE APCH. THE NAV CAPTURED RIGHT NEAR THE FAF AND WAS UNABLE TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE PROPER RADIAL FOR THE APCH DUE TO THE INTERCEPT ANGLE WE WERE FLYING. APCH ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING OUTBOUND ON THE 275 DEG RADIAL TO THE ARPT. THIS IS WHEN I FIRST REALIZED WE WERE NOT TURNING ON THE RADIAL OUTBOUND. I DID HAVE RAW DATA DISPLAYED ON MY HIS, BUT I WAS SPENDING A LOT OF TIME LOOKING FOR THE RWY. WE CONTACTED TWR AND THEY ISSUED US A LOW ALT ALERT AND TOLD US TO CHK OUR ALT. THIS FURTHER CONFUSED THE ISSUE BECAUSE WE WERE ACTUALLY HIGH AND HAD NOT EVEN STARTED OUR DSCNT FROM THE FAF. IN ADDITION WE WERE SOMEWHAT ON A R BASE LEG FOR THE RWY AND WERE ALSO ISSUED A TFC ALERT FOR ANOTHER ACFT THAT DEPARTED LGB. LATER I ASKED THE FO WHY HE DIDN'T LINE UP WITH THE RWY WHEN HE TOLD ME HE HAD IT IN SIGHT? HE SAID HE DID NOT WANT TO PROCEED VISUALLY WITHOUT MYSELF ALSO SEEING THE RWY. THIS WAS MY 4TH DAY STRAIGHT FLYING AND OVER 27 HRS IN THAT TIME WITH A LATE NIGHT WX DIVERSION THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. I FELT FATIGUED DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRIP AND THIS DID NOT HELP THE SIT.

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.