Narrative:

So there we were; descending based on the ATIS for what looked to be an entry to a left downwind to runway 34. As we neared the airport approach issued a heading and said to set up for a visual to runway 16 (can you see it coming?); which meant we were now on extended base leg. That was more conveniently aligned; but required more enthusiastic descent; so I did that. The first officer loaded the ILS runway 16 and turned the airplane instruments around. This strip of pavement uses the same ILS frequency for apches to both ends. Meanwhile approach allowed me to widen out a bit to get down. This sort of commotion is always lots O' fun at the end of an overnight work period; where the body clock is upside down and when fatigue is always lurking around us and the ATC controllers. The approach controller asked us to report the field in sight; which we eventually did. As is normally done; we had the ILS runway 16 tuned up and were attempting to use it in addition to the visual references. But the screen display was not matching up with the big display out the window. After we both remarked that screens and windows didn't have much correlation -- we didn't use those words -- I manually flew the visual approach to runway 16. On the ground; the first officer asked the tower controller which ILS was up and he answered that it was runway 34. This is by no means the first time this has happened; where approach issues an opposite-direction approach to what is being announced on an airport's ATIS. It would be a good idea for approach controllers to have tower controllers turn on the ILS for the direction airplanes are actually being cleared to land or; if unable; tell the arriving flight that the ILS is still set up for the opposite direction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EARLY MORNING ARR TO RIC BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT WHEN A RWY CHANGE CAME LATE IN THE ARR.

Narrative: SO THERE WE WERE; DSNDING BASED ON THE ATIS FOR WHAT LOOKED TO BE AN ENTRY TO A LEFT DOWNWIND TO RWY 34. AS WE NEARED THE ARPT APCH ISSUED A HEADING AND SAID TO SET UP FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 16 (CAN YOU SEE IT COMING?); WHICH MEANT WE WERE NOW ON EXTENDED BASE LEG. THAT WAS MORE CONVENIENTLY ALIGNED; BUT REQUIRED MORE ENTHUSIASTIC DSCNT; SO I DID THAT. THE FO LOADED THE ILS RWY 16 AND TURNED THE AIRPLANE INSTRUMENTS AROUND. THIS STRIP OF PAVEMENT USES THE SAME ILS FREQUENCY FOR APCHES TO BOTH ENDS. MEANWHILE APCH ALLOWED ME TO WIDEN OUT A BIT TO GET DOWN. THIS SORT OF COMMOTION IS ALWAYS LOTS O' FUN AT THE END OF AN OVERNIGHT WORK PERIOD; WHERE THE BODY CLOCK IS UPSIDE DOWN AND WHEN FATIGUE IS ALWAYS LURKING AROUND US AND THE ATC CTLRS. THE APCH CTLR ASKED US TO RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT; WHICH WE EVENTUALLY DID. AS IS NORMALLY DONE; WE HAD THE ILS RWY 16 TUNED UP AND WERE ATTEMPTING TO USE IT IN ADDITION TO THE VISUAL REFERENCES. BUT THE SCREEN DISPLAY WAS NOT MATCHING UP WITH THE BIG DISPLAY OUT THE WINDOW. AFTER WE BOTH REMARKED THAT SCREENS AND WINDOWS DIDN'T HAVE MUCH CORRELATION -- WE DIDN'T USE THOSE WORDS -- I MANUALLY FLEW THE VISUAL APPROACH TO RWY 16. ON THE GROUND; THE FO ASKED THE TWR CTLR WHICH ILS WAS UP AND HE ANSWERED THAT IT WAS RWY 34. THIS IS BY NO MEANS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED; WHERE APCH ISSUES AN OPPOSITE-DIRECTION APCH TO WHAT IS BEING ANNOUNCED ON AN ARPT'S ATIS. IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR APCH CTLRS TO HAVE TWR CTLRS TURN ON THE ILS FOR THE DIRECTION AIRPLANES ARE ACTUALLY BEING CLRED TO LAND OR; IF UNABLE; TELL THE ARRIVING FLT THAT THE ILS IS STILL SET UP FOR THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.