Narrative:

I was a new first officer; assigned to a maintenance ferry flight to atl. During descent on this short flight; we became very busy with our cockpit duties. I conducted an approach briefing and devoted some extra time to discussing the landing with no antiskid (this was the reason for the ferry flight). As we continued the descent; our workload increased as ATC assigned us a runway change; followed by an assignment to a new STAR. Meanwhile; we were slightly distraction by 2 or 3 ACARS messages from the company that we chose to read on the ground. These were adjustments to our schedules. On downwind; ATC informed us to expect a visual approach; and told us we'd be behind a B757. After 2 more vectors; we were instructed to join the localizer to runway 8L. Shortly thereafter; ATC commanded a turn to rejoin the localizer; indicating that we'd flown through and failed to intercept. We complied; located the traffic to follow; and continued the approach without further incident. I believe that in addition to my lack of experience (in the aircraft) a major contributing factor to this error were the many last-min changes to our planned arrival; all of which occurred after the approach briefing. This led to a hurried cockpit atmosphere. In the future; I intend to include runway/approach changes as high threats in my approach briefing. I will treat the checklist item 'flight/navigation instruments' with more thought. Additionally; I will better make use of the pilot monitoring while I fly the aircraft; such as asking him or her to set up the FMS for the new approach. Supplemental information from acn 751420: I was the captain and pilot monitoring on this flight. On arrival into atl; the first officer briefed ILS prm runway 9R. Upon checking in with approach; we were told to expect runway 8L and the pechy arrival. Since the first officer was quite busy flying the aircraft at this point; I informed him I would input the new arrival in the FMS. The first officer leveled the aircraft and then briefed the runway 8L approach. On left downwind; ATC told us to expect a visual approach. We performed the approach checklist and I crosschecked the selected ILS frequency with the initial page on the FMS; and they agreed. While flying base leg; approach gave us a 120 degree heading and cleared ILS prm runway 8L. Because of this change; the visual approach we expected is now an ILS prm. At that time; I selected arc mode (raw data) while the first officer was on map mode. While waiting for localizer movement; I questioned the amount of time it was taking. As I was checking the chart; ATC stated that we had gone through the localizer. We now realized that runway 9R was still in the FMS and navigation radios. ATC told us to turn left immediately and cleared ILS prm runway 8L; which we did. At some point during these xmissions; ATC called parallel traffic which we had seen and called in sight. At no time did we receive a TCAS TA or RA. After this; we performed an uneventful approach and landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MD 80 APCHING ATL WITH A LOW TIME FO WAS GIVEN A RWY CHANGE ON A 15 NM FINAL. THE ACFT FAILED TO CAPTURE THE LOC BECAUSE OF FLT CREW DISTRACTIONS.

Narrative: I WAS A NEW FO; ASSIGNED TO A MAINT FERRY FLT TO ATL. DURING DSCNT ON THIS SHORT FLT; WE BECAME VERY BUSY WITH OUR COCKPIT DUTIES. I CONDUCTED AN APCH BRIEFING AND DEVOTED SOME EXTRA TIME TO DISCUSSING THE LNDG WITH NO ANTISKID (THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE FERRY FLT). AS WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT; OUR WORKLOAD INCREASED AS ATC ASSIGNED US A RWY CHANGE; FOLLOWED BY AN ASSIGNMENT TO A NEW STAR. MEANWHILE; WE WERE SLIGHTLY DISTR BY 2 OR 3 ACARS MESSAGES FROM THE COMPANY THAT WE CHOSE TO READ ON THE GND. THESE WERE ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR SCHEDULES. ON DOWNWIND; ATC INFORMED US TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH; AND TOLD US WE'D BE BEHIND A B757. AFTER 2 MORE VECTORS; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO JOIN THE LOC TO RWY 8L. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; ATC COMMANDED A TURN TO REJOIN THE LOC; INDICATING THAT WE'D FLOWN THROUGH AND FAILED TO INTERCEPT. WE COMPLIED; LOCATED THE TFC TO FOLLOW; AND CONTINUED THE APCH WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT IN ADDITION TO MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE (IN THE ACFT) A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS ERROR WERE THE MANY LAST-MIN CHANGES TO OUR PLANNED ARR; ALL OF WHICH OCCURRED AFTER THE APCH BRIEFING. THIS LED TO A HURRIED COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE. IN THE FUTURE; I INTEND TO INCLUDE RWY/APCH CHANGES AS HIGH THREATS IN MY APCH BRIEFING. I WILL TREAT THE CHKLIST ITEM 'FLT/NAV INSTS' WITH MORE THOUGHT. ADDITIONALLY; I WILL BETTER MAKE USE OF THE PLT MONITORING WHILE I FLY THE ACFT; SUCH AS ASKING HIM OR HER TO SET UP THE FMS FOR THE NEW APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 751420: I WAS THE CAPT AND PLT MONITORING ON THIS FLT. ON ARR INTO ATL; THE FO BRIEFED ILS PRM RWY 9R. UPON CHKING IN WITH APCH; WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 8L AND THE PECHY ARR. SINCE THE FO WAS QUITE BUSY FLYING THE ACFT AT THIS POINT; I INFORMED HIM I WOULD INPUT THE NEW ARR IN THE FMS. THE FO LEVELED THE ACFT AND THEN BRIEFED THE RWY 8L APCH. ON L DOWNWIND; ATC TOLD US TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH. WE PERFORMED THE APCH CHKLIST AND I XCHKED THE SELECTED ILS FREQ WITH THE INITIAL PAGE ON THE FMS; AND THEY AGREED. WHILE FLYING BASE LEG; APCH GAVE US A 120 DEG HDG AND CLRED ILS PRM RWY 8L. BECAUSE OF THIS CHANGE; THE VISUAL APCH WE EXPECTED IS NOW AN ILS PRM. AT THAT TIME; I SELECTED ARC MODE (RAW DATA) WHILE THE FO WAS ON MAP MODE. WHILE WAITING FOR LOC MOVEMENT; I QUESTIONED THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WAS TAKING. AS I WAS CHKING THE CHART; ATC STATED THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH THE LOC. WE NOW REALIZED THAT RWY 9R WAS STILL IN THE FMS AND NAV RADIOS. ATC TOLD US TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY AND CLRED ILS PRM RWY 8L; WHICH WE DID. AT SOME POINT DURING THESE XMISSIONS; ATC CALLED PARALLEL TFC WHICH WE HAD SEEN AND CALLED IN SIGHT. AT NO TIME DID WE RECEIVE A TCAS TA OR RA. AFTER THIS; WE PERFORMED AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG.

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.