Narrative:

After extensive holding at the terri intersection on the dupont 4 arrival followed by about 25 more minutes of further vectors; we were finally established about 25 DME on the localizer for the ILS approach to runway 9R. We were instructed to maintain 170 KTS until kelee. The autopilot was rocking the wings back and forth struggling to track the localizer. There were several aircraft in front of us on the approach that were probably affecting the localizer ground signal. After checking that the FMS ground track agreed with the localizer signal; I switched the autopilot back to navigate on RNAV to settle down the wing rocking until we had a stronger localizer signal. At about 13 DME; I realized that the FMS was tracking very slightly north of the localizer path with a strong crosswind from the south (at 3000 ft MSL). I switched the 'heading select' mode to direct the aircraft ten further degrees south from the previously established drift-corrected path and armed the localizer. The FMA immediately indicated 'localizer capture' and started turning the aircraft back to the localizer course heading (uncorrected for the large crosswind drift angle). At the point where the aircraft was almost reaching localizer course heading; the localizer CDI was fairly quickly moving to the limit because the computer had not yet calculated any drift correction. I immediately returned to 'heading select' mode to turn the aircraft back to an intercept heading and re-armed the localizer intercept mode. The same result happened all over again with an unsuccessful intercept. I turned the aircraft back to an intercept heading. As we reached asoci; I initiated a descent using vertical speed to 1800 ft AGL. This time I let the aircraft path to slightly south of the localizer before arming the autopilot for localizer intercept. The FMA again immediately indicated localizer capture and this time our wind drift brought the aircraft back to the localizer centerline on the autopilot's initial turn and then the autopilot quickly turned back south several degrees as it finally applied a wind drift correction to maintain the localizer course; it intercepted the glideslope easily and continued on the approach. All of this took time and the first officer called out and we were still at 170 KTS without the gear down or flaps in landing configuration. I immediately directed both be set for landing and puled the throttles back to slow to approach speed. The aircraft quickly slowed and the approach stabilized. We broke out of the overcast at about 400 ft and landed normally. At the gate the first officer and I discussed that we probably were not stabilized on the approach by 1000 ft AGL as required by company policy for IMC conditions. I should have just done a missed approach and set up for another ILS approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 Captain is distracted during approach trying to get the autopilot to successfully track the LOC. This leads to late configuration and results in an unstabilized approach to a normal landing.

Narrative: After extensive holding at the TERRI intersection on the Dupont 4 arrival followed by about 25 more minutes of further vectors; we were finally established about 25 DME on the localizer for the ILS approach to Runway 9R. We were instructed to maintain 170 KTS until KELEE. The autopilot was rocking the wings back and forth struggling to track the localizer. There were several aircraft in front of us on the approach that were probably affecting the localizer ground signal. After checking that the FMS ground track agreed with the localizer signal; I switched the autopilot back to navigate on RNAV to settle down the wing rocking until we had a stronger localizer signal. At about 13 DME; I realized that the FMS was tracking very slightly North of the localizer path with a strong crosswind from the South (at 3000 FT MSL). I switched the 'heading select' mode to direct the aircraft ten further degrees South from the previously established drift-corrected path and armed the localizer. The FMA immediately indicated 'localizer capture' and started turning the aircraft back to the localizer course heading (uncorrected for the large crosswind drift angle). At the point where the aircraft was almost reaching localizer course heading; the localizer CDI was fairly quickly moving to the limit because the computer had not yet calculated any drift correction. I immediately returned to 'heading select' mode to turn the aircraft back to an intercept heading and re-armed the localizer intercept mode. The same result happened all over again with an unsuccessful intercept. I turned the aircraft back to an intercept heading. As we reached ASOCI; I initiated a descent using vertical speed to 1800 FT AGL. This time I let the aircraft path to slightly South of the localizer before arming the autopilot for localizer intercept. The FMA again immediately indicated localizer capture and this time our wind drift brought the aircraft back to the localizer centerline on the autopilot's initial turn and then the autopilot quickly turned back South several degrees as it finally applied a wind drift correction to maintain the localizer course; It intercepted the glideslope easily and continued on the approach. All of this took time and the First Officer called out and we were still at 170 KTS without the gear down or flaps in landing configuration. I immediately directed both be set for landing and puled the throttles back to slow to approach speed. The aircraft quickly slowed and the approach stabilized. We broke out of the overcast at about 400 FT and landed normally. At the gate the First Officer and I discussed that we probably were not stabilized on the approach by 1000 FT AGL as required by company policy for IMC conditions. I should have just done a missed approach and set up for another ILS approach.

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.