Narrative:

During approach to runway xxl ILS; we were given a heading to intercept the localizer. The localizer never captured and we turned back toward the localizer. ATC questioned this and we responded that we were turning accordingly. Again the localizer didn't capture. We again turned to try and capture. We then noticed that the captain's localizer was dialed to 038 degree heading instead of the correct course. This is normally automatic when switching to green needles for the localizer. After turning off the autoplt; I turned back to intercept. Using my right hand; I dialed in the correct heading and reset the frequency. Then; using the left hand; I reset the navigation selector to white needles and back to green for localizer. While trying to accomplish this; I deviated once to 4800 ft. After correcting the trend; I again turned my attention to whether the localizer was going to capture or not. At this point; I descended to 4600 ft. We were then given a turn to the left and told to re-climb to 5000 ft of which we accomplished immediately. We were then re-sequenced and landed without event. This was the second time today that we had a problem with the localizer on the captain's side. While flying an ILS this morning; we had a similar problem to which I turned off the autoplt and hand flew the rest of the approach. Next time I will go missed and reset the ILS but being that we were still outside the FAF at the time; I felt we had the time to correct the situation. I will compare both inbound headings on the localizer once we go to green needles to verify the correct heading is shown. The aircraft was reported to maintenance when we reached the gate. Supplemental information from acn 810857: we were on a heading to intercept runway xxl localizer. We had switched to green neddles via SOP's. As we approached the final approach course; I had split my attention between the traffic on the runway xxr approach and scanning inside. I noticed that the traffic was getting closer and closer. I then noticed that our aircraft was crossing through our approach course. I advised the captain and continued to watch the traffic. By this time we were getting a traffic alert and the captain took over control. We were told to cross the FAF at 5000 ft or above. Everything seemed to be going well; and getting back on track. As I continued to split my attention; I noticed that our aircraft began to slowly move to the right again. At this time I advised and set the heading bug back to the left to re-intercept the runway xxl localizer. Then I noticed that the captain had set the bug back to a heading of 030 degrees and I immediately told him we need to 'go left! Go left!' then I noticed that we were looking at 2 different images on our pfd's. The captain's inbound course did not capture. The aircraft was trying to track a 038 degree heading; and the captain was unaware of this as he was trying to fly the aircraft. I immediately dialed in the correct course. During this time; ATC had been giving us instructions to correct our deviation; and when the captain became aware of our deviation he tried to correct. While correcting; our altitude dropped and we were given breakout instructions. With these instructions we recovered; discussed what happened and our plan for the next approach. When I noticed the discrepancy; I ensured that the correct frequencys and SOP's were set and accomplished. My pfd was reading correctly and gave me no reason to assume the captain's was not. The captain and I discussed the event and believed the event had occurred due to a combination of events. First; we believe the VOR/ILS localizer was malfunctioning. Second; the attention of both of us pilots was split between different concerns. Meaning; my attention was divided between the traffic on the right side; my concern of the captain continuing to the right to intercept the localizer; and monitoring the radios. And I believe the captain was focusing on flying the airplane and trying to find the discrepancy; which led us to be task saturated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS AIRCRAFT FAILS TO CAPTURE INBOUND LOC COURSE DUE TO INCORRECT INBOUND COURSE SETTING. THE INBOUND COURSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SET AUTOMATICALLY WHEN SWITCHING TO GREEN NEEDLES FOR THE APPROACH.

Narrative: DURING APCH TO RWY XXL ILS; WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. THE LOC NEVER CAPTURED AND WE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE LOC. ATC QUESTIONED THIS AND WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE TURNING ACCORDINGLY. AGAIN THE LOC DIDN'T CAPTURE. WE AGAIN TURNED TO TRY AND CAPTURE. WE THEN NOTICED THAT THE CAPT'S LOC WAS DIALED TO 038 DEG HDG INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT COURSE. THIS IS NORMALLY AUTOMATIC WHEN SWITCHING TO GREEN NEEDLES FOR THE LOC. AFTER TURNING OFF THE AUTOPLT; I TURNED BACK TO INTERCEPT. USING MY R HAND; I DIALED IN THE CORRECT HDG AND RESET THE FREQ. THEN; USING THE L HAND; I RESET THE NAV SELECTOR TO WHITE NEEDLES AND BACK TO GREEN FOR LOC. WHILE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS; I DEVIATED ONCE TO 4800 FT. AFTER CORRECTING THE TREND; I AGAIN TURNED MY ATTN TO WHETHER THE LOC WAS GOING TO CAPTURE OR NOT. AT THIS POINT; I DSNDED TO 4600 FT. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A TURN TO THE L AND TOLD TO RE-CLB TO 5000 FT OF WHICH WE ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE THEN RE-SEQUENCED AND LANDED WITHOUT EVENT. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME TODAY THAT WE HAD A PROB WITH THE LOC ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. WHILE FLYING AN ILS THIS MORNING; WE HAD A SIMILAR PROB TO WHICH I TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND HAND FLEW THE REST OF THE APCH. NEXT TIME I WILL GO MISSED AND RESET THE ILS BUT BEING THAT WE WERE STILL OUTSIDE THE FAF AT THE TIME; I FELT WE HAD THE TIME TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. I WILL COMPARE BOTH INBOUND HDGS ON THE LOC ONCE WE GO TO GREEN NEEDLES TO VERIFY THE CORRECT HEADING IS SHOWN. THE ACFT WAS RPTED TO MAINT WHEN WE REACHED THE GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 810857: WE WERE ON A HDG TO INTERCEPT RWY XXL LOC. WE HAD SWITCHED TO GREEN NEDDLES VIA SOP'S. AS WE APCHED THE FINAL APCH COURSE; I HAD SPLIT MY ATTN BTWN THE TFC ON THE RWY XXR APCH AND SCANNING INSIDE. I NOTICED THAT THE TFC WAS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. I THEN NOTICED THAT OUR ACFT WAS XING THROUGH OUR APCH COURSE. I ADVISED THE CAPT AND CONTINUED TO WATCH THE TFC. BY THIS TIME WE WERE GETTING A TFC ALERT AND THE CAPT TOOK OVER CTL. WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS THE FAF AT 5000 FT OR ABOVE. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING WELL; AND GETTING BACK ON TRACK. AS I CONTINUED TO SPLIT MY ATTN; I NOTICED THAT OUR ACFT BEGAN TO SLOWLY MOVE TO THE R AGAIN. AT THIS TIME I ADVISED AND SET THE HDG BUG BACK TO THE L TO RE-INTERCEPT THE RWY XXL LOC. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAPT HAD SET THE BUG BACK TO A HDG OF 030 DEGS AND I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM WE NEED TO 'GO L! GO L!' THEN I NOTICED THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT 2 DIFFERENT IMAGES ON OUR PFD'S. THE CAPT'S INBOUND COURSE DID NOT CAPTURE. THE ACFT WAS TRYING TO TRACK A 038 DEG HDG; AND THE CAPT WAS UNAWARE OF THIS AS HE WAS TRYING TO FLY THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY DIALED IN THE CORRECT COURSE. DURING THIS TIME; ATC HAD BEEN GIVING US INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRECT OUR DEV; AND WHEN THE CAPT BECAME AWARE OF OUR DEV HE TRIED TO CORRECT. WHILE CORRECTING; OUR ALT DROPPED AND WE WERE GIVEN BREAKOUT INSTRUCTIONS. WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS WE RECOVERED; DISCUSSED WHAT HAPPENED AND OUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT APCH. WHEN I NOTICED THE DISCREPANCY; I ENSURED THAT THE CORRECT FREQS AND SOP'S WERE SET AND ACCOMPLISHED. MY PFD WAS READING CORRECTLY AND GAVE ME NO REASON TO ASSUME THE CAPT'S WAS NOT. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE EVENT AND BELIEVED THE EVENT HAD OCCURRED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF EVENTS. FIRST; WE BELIEVE THE VOR/ILS LOC WAS MALFUNCTIONING. SECOND; THE ATTN OF BOTH OF US PLTS WAS SPLIT BTWN DIFFERENT CONCERNS. MEANING; MY ATTN WAS DIVIDED BTWN THE TFC ON THE R SIDE; MY CONCERN OF THE CAPT CONTINUING TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE LOC; AND MONITORING THE RADIOS. AND I BELIEVE THE CAPT WAS FOCUSING ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND TRYING TO FIND THE DISCREPANCY; WHICH LED US TO BE TASK SATURATED.

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.