Narrative:

My first officer was flying. We were on the downwind for runway 27L and were following a B757 and told to look for the traffic. We spotted the traffic and were given a heading that was 90 degrees to the runway and cleared for the visual approach. At that time I looked down to clean up the FMS and set in the tower frequency. I only looked down for a min and when I looked back up we had passed runway 27L and were abeam runway 27R. I clicked off the autoplt and immediately turned toward the correct course and runway. I contacted atl tower and they said it was no problem -- nearest traffic was on the opposite side of the field for runway 26R. For some reason; either the autoplt could not capture the course with a 90 degree intercept or the approach mode was not armed. The first officer says he armed the approach but when I looked up and realized we had obviously gone through course; I just clicked off the autoplt and immediately returned to course. Once on course; I turned the autoplt back on and armed the approach and it worked fine until the first officer disconnected it on short final. Supplemental information from acn 788238: while I was PF and cleared for the visual approach into atlanta; while on a base turn to runway 27L; I armed the approach. The autoplt did not capture the localizer. After realizing the localizer did not capture; the captain disconnected the autoplt and manually re-intercepted the localizer. After the re-intercept; he notified atl tower about what had happened. They responded no problem and the nearest traffic was on the opposite side of the field for runway 26R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ900 FLT CREW REPORTS AUTO PILOT DOES NOT INTERCEPT LOC AFTER ARMING; CAUSING OVERSHOOT.

Narrative: MY FO WAS FLYING. WE WERE ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27L AND WERE FOLLOWING A B757 AND TOLD TO LOOK FOR THE TFC. WE SPOTTED THE TFC AND WERE GIVEN A HDG THAT WAS 90 DEGS TO THE RWY AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. AT THAT TIME I LOOKED DOWN TO CLEAN UP THE FMS AND SET IN THE TWR FREQ. I ONLY LOOKED DOWN FOR A MIN AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP WE HAD PASSED RWY 27L AND WERE ABEAM RWY 27R. I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD THE CORRECT COURSE AND RWY. I CONTACTED ATL TWR AND THEY SAID IT WAS NO PROB -- NEAREST TFC WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FIELD FOR RWY 26R. FOR SOME REASON; EITHER THE AUTOPLT COULD NOT CAPTURE THE COURSE WITH A 90 DEG INTERCEPT OR THE APCH MODE WAS NOT ARMED. THE FO SAYS HE ARMED THE APCH BUT WHEN I LOOKED UP AND REALIZED WE HAD OBVIOUSLY GONE THROUGH COURSE; I JUST CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO COURSE. ONCE ON COURSE; I TURNED THE AUTOPLT BACK ON AND ARMED THE APCH AND IT WORKED FINE UNTIL THE FO DISCONNECTED IT ON SHORT FINAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 788238: WHILE I WAS PF AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH INTO ATLANTA; WHILE ON A BASE TURN TO RWY 27L; I ARMED THE APCH. THE AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE THE LOC. AFTER REALIZING THE LOC DID NOT CAPTURE; THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND MANUALLY RE-INTERCEPTED THE LOC. AFTER THE RE-INTERCEPT; HE NOTIFIED ATL TWR ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY RESPONDED NO PROB AND THE NEAREST TFC WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FIELD FOR RWY 26R.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.