Narrative:

En route; we joined the ckb transition R-133 of ckb to the lda-C into ekn. We were at 5000 ft MSL and in and out to the tops of some clouds with little reference to the ground. Cdb approach called us and told us to report the field in sight. I replied we were expecting to shoot the lda-C. The controller indicated he thought that approach was no longer certified. I replied we had current charts for it and he indicated that he thought it was notamed out that it wasn't a reliable approach. He indicated he was going to double-check the NOTAMS; cleared us to fly the localizer on the lda but to not descend below 5000 ft. Having shot the approach earlier in the week; and having checked NOTAMS and not seeing a NOTAM that had the lda OTS; I thought the NOTAMS he was referring to were the ones that indicated that the course was only usable 25 degrees; beyond that left and right wouldn't show indication; and the 2 other NOTAMS that were on the limits of the DME (7/052 7/042 and 7/40). The navigation #1 was set to ckb and tracking the 133 degree radial. Navigation #2 set to the localizer of the lda but had navigation flag. DME set to localizer distance showed at 9 mi and would pop in and out. ADF was set to rqy and with correct identify and pointing slightly to the right of our nose but would swing about 30 degrees to right of our nose at times. Marker beacons were set to low and test showed all lights working. I made a mental note that if we didn't pick up the localizer by 200 bearing of the NDB or marker beacons that I would call ATC for vector because we were not picking up the localizer. In IMC about 75% of the time now when we pop out I look for some ground to get reference to our situation but never saw passing over the first set of mountains to indicate we were in the valley area of the approach. Next I hear ATC giving us an instruction to immediately climb to 6000 ft; my student starts executing the climb as he reads the instruction back. I hear the controller again issuing an immediate climb to 6000 ft and right turn to 270 degrees and reply. My student starts to turn left; I take control and execute a chandelle to the right as we pop out of the tops of the clouds around 5700 ft and start leveling off at 6000 ft 270. As I am doing this the controller is asking us to identify; which I do. The controller is now telling us we are way east of course and there are mountains at 5000 ft in this area. As we are being vectored and I double-check my plates and frequencys I had dialed in and they were all correct. ADF never did swing more than 30 degrees to the right; marker beacons never went off; and localizer was never picked up. I went to swing the needle on test with the ADF and it would never try again to pick up the station after it was moved; though giving proper identify. After landing I checked the FAA's web site and saw no NOTAM putting the lda-C OTS. After getting home I logged on to duats and checked again and saw no NOTAM there putting the lda-C OTS either. I saw no NOTAM before or after the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the ADF was determined to be defective and was written up for repair; but the reason for the localizer and DME problems could not be determined and seemed to work normally on the return flight. The terrain on the east side of ekn is above 5000 feet and the controller may have saved their lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTS CFIT DURING ATTEMPTED LDA-C APPROACH INTO EKN.

Narrative: ENRTE; WE JOINED THE CKB TRANSITION R-133 OF CKB TO THE LDA-C INTO EKN. WE WERE AT 5000 FT MSL AND IN AND OUT TO THE TOPS OF SOME CLOUDS WITH LITTLE REF TO THE GND. CDB APCH CALLED US AND TOLD US TO RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I REPLIED WE WERE EXPECTING TO SHOOT THE LDA-C. THE CTLR INDICATED HE THOUGHT THAT APCH WAS NO LONGER CERTIFIED. I REPLIED WE HAD CURRENT CHARTS FOR IT AND HE INDICATED THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS NOTAMED OUT THAT IT WASN'T A RELIABLE APCH. HE INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO DOUBLE-CHK THE NOTAMS; CLRED US TO FLY THE LOC ON THE LDA BUT TO NOT DSND BELOW 5000 FT. HAVING SHOT THE APCH EARLIER IN THE WK; AND HAVING CHKED NOTAMS AND NOT SEEING A NOTAM THAT HAD THE LDA OTS; I THOUGHT THE NOTAMS HE WAS REFERRING TO WERE THE ONES THAT INDICATED THAT THE COURSE WAS ONLY USABLE 25 DEGS; BEYOND THAT L AND R WOULDN'T SHOW INDICATION; AND THE 2 OTHER NOTAMS THAT WERE ON THE LIMITS OF THE DME (7/052 7/042 AND 7/40). THE NAV #1 WAS SET TO CKB AND TRACKING THE 133 DEG RADIAL. NAV #2 SET TO THE LOC OF THE LDA BUT HAD NAV FLAG. DME SET TO LOC DISTANCE SHOWED AT 9 MI AND WOULD POP IN AND OUT. ADF WAS SET TO RQY AND WITH CORRECT IDENT AND POINTING SLIGHTLY TO THE R OF OUR NOSE BUT WOULD SWING ABOUT 30 DEGS TO R OF OUR NOSE AT TIMES. MARKER BEACONS WERE SET TO LOW AND TEST SHOWED ALL LIGHTS WORKING. I MADE A MENTAL NOTE THAT IF WE DIDN'T PICK UP THE LOC BY 200 BEARING OF THE NDB OR MARKER BEACONS THAT I WOULD CALL ATC FOR VECTOR BECAUSE WE WERE NOT PICKING UP THE LOC. IN IMC ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME NOW WHEN WE POP OUT I LOOK FOR SOME GND TO GET REF TO OUR SITUATION BUT NEVER SAW PASSING OVER THE FIRST SET OF MOUNTAINS TO INDICATE WE WERE IN THE VALLEY AREA OF THE APCH. NEXT I HEAR ATC GIVING US AN INSTRUCTION TO IMMEDIATELY CLB TO 6000 FT; MY STUDENT STARTS EXECUTING THE CLB AS HE READS THE INSTRUCTION BACK. I HEAR THE CTLR AGAIN ISSUING AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 6000 FT AND R TURN TO 270 DEGS AND REPLY. MY STUDENT STARTS TO TURN L; I TAKE CTL AND EXECUTE A CHANDELLE TO THE R AS WE POP OUT OF THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS AROUND 5700 FT AND START LEVELING OFF AT 6000 FT 270. AS I AM DOING THIS THE CTLR IS ASKING US TO IDENT; WHICH I DO. THE CTLR IS NOW TELLING US WE ARE WAY E OF COURSE AND THERE ARE MOUNTAINS AT 5000 FT IN THIS AREA. AS WE ARE BEING VECTORED AND I DOUBLE-CHK MY PLATES AND FREQS I HAD DIALED IN AND THEY WERE ALL CORRECT. ADF NEVER DID SWING MORE THAN 30 DEGS TO THE R; MARKER BEACONS NEVER WENT OFF; AND LOC WAS NEVER PICKED UP. I WENT TO SWING THE NEEDLE ON TEST WITH THE ADF AND IT WOULD NEVER TRY AGAIN TO PICK UP THE STATION AFTER IT WAS MOVED; THOUGH GIVING PROPER IDENT. AFTER LNDG I CHKED THE FAA'S WEB SITE AND SAW NO NOTAM PUTTING THE LDA-C OTS. AFTER GETTING HOME I LOGGED ON TO DUATS AND CHKED AGAIN AND SAW NO NOTAM THERE PUTTING THE LDA-C OTS EITHER. I SAW NO NOTAM BEFORE OR AFTER THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ADF WAS DETERMINED TO BE DEFECTIVE AND WAS WRITTEN UP FOR REPAIR; BUT THE REASON FOR THE LOC AND DME PROBLEMS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AND SEEMED TO WORK NORMALLY ON THE RETURN FLIGHT. THE TERRAIN ON THE EAST SIDE OF EKN IS ABOVE 5000 FEET AND THE CONTROLLER MAY HAVE SAVED THEIR LIVES.

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.