An air carrier crew began the buf ILS23 and forgot that the localizer is unusable beyond 5 nm when n...

Attributes
ACN	863727
Time
Date	200912
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	BUF.Airport
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Widebody Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Flight Engineer Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50 Flight Crew Total 10000 Flight Crew Type 5000
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Flight Engineer Flight Crew Commercial
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100 Flight Crew Total 11000 Flight Crew Type 1400
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

I was the captain and pilot flying. I was being vectored by buffalo; ny approach control from a right hand pattern to the ILS for runway 23 at buffalo; ny int'l airport. The conditions were: moderate rain; pattern altitude winds of approximately 140\50kts; and moderate turbulence. While at 2300' MSL; I was given a vector of 200 to intercept the localizer; and cleared for the ILS approach to runway 23. The left hand wind was too much for that heading to intercept the localizer in time. I saw a distance of 10NM on my FMS's progress page; and that I was well above the glide slope (or so I thought). There is a note on the approach page that the glide slope is unreliable beyond 5nm of the localizer. I failed to note that; and began a 700fpm descent to attempt to capture the glide slope from above because we were now clear of the clouds; and the rain was less. The first officer advised me where we were off the localizer; (still right); and that the airfield was not in sight. At that point both the flight crew; and now approach control realized that the ILS approach was being incorrectly flown. Approach control advised the flight crew that their altitude was too low (1700' MSL); told us to climb. We then executed a missed approach to the left with approach control issuing a vector of 140 and 2500' MSL. A left hand pattern was flown; and an approach and landing on runway 23 was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An Air Carrier Crew began the BUF ILS23 and forgot that the localizer is unusable beyond 5 nm when north. So thinking that they were high they began a descent. A missed approach was executed after a low altitude alert from ATC.

Narrative: I was the Captain and Pilot Flying. I was being vectored by Buffalo; NY approach control from a right hand pattern to the ILS for runway 23 at Buffalo; NY Int'l Airport. The conditions were: moderate rain; pattern altitude winds of approximately 140\50kts; and moderate turbulence. While at 2300' MSL; I was given a vector of 200 to intercept the localizer; and cleared for the ILS approach to Runway 23. The left hand wind was too much for that heading to intercept the LOC in time. I saw a distance of 10NM on my FMS's progress page; and that I was well above the glide slope (or so I thought). There is a note on the approach page that the glide slope is unreliable beyond 5nm of the localizer. I failed to note that; and began a 700fpm descent to attempt to capture the glide slope from above because we were now clear of the clouds; and the rain was less. The First Officer advised me where we were off the localizer; (still right); and that the airfield was not in sight. At that point both the Flight Crew; and now Approach Control realized that the ILS approach was being incorrectly flown. Approach Control advised the Flight Crew that their altitude was too low (1700' MSL); told us to climb. We then executed a missed approach to the left with Approach Control issuing a vector of 140 and 2500' MSL. A left hand pattern was flown; and an approach and landing on runway 23 was uneventful.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

An air carrier crew began the buf ILS23 and forgot that the localizer is unusable beyond 5 nm when north. So thinking that they were high they began a descent. A missed approach was executed after a low altitude alert from ATC.