HDG TRACK ALT DEV IN NIGHT OP; VISUAL APCH TO ARPT IN PROX OF DESIGNATED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative

CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT FOR AN APCH TO ILS 16R AT RNO. WE WERE 1 MI NE OF SPARKS LOM WHEN THE CAPT ASKED ME TO TELL ATC THAT HE WANTED A 3 MI TURN OUTSIDE OF SPARKS LOM. WE WERE AT 7200 FT WHICH WAS AN ALT GIVEN TO US BY ATC BUT WHICH WAS ALSO 1300 FT BELOW THE NORMAL ILS INTERCEPT OF 8500 FT. WHEN I TOLD ATC THAT THE CAPT WANTED A 3 MI TURN ON; THE CTLR BECAME HOSTILE AND VERY DISTURBED. HE INFORMED US THAT WE WERE 1 MI FROM SPARKS AND THAT IT WOULD BE HARD FOR HIM TO RE-VECTOR US FROM THERE. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE WERE IN A GOOD POS TO LAND FROM THERE; BUT HE SAW IT A DIFFERENT WAY. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO TURN R TO 340 DEGS AND CLB TO 8000 FT. WE WERE ON A 240 DEG HDG AND THE CAPT STARTED A VERY SLOW CLB AND A SHALLOW R TURN. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT THERE WERE VERY HIGH MOUNTAINS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. HE DID NOT RESPOND. WHEN TOLD AGAIN; HE STARTED A VERY HIGH RATE OF CLB; BUSTING THROUGH 8000 FT AND CLBING TO 8500 FT. HE STOPPED HIS TURN ON A 285 DEG HDG WHICH PUT US HDG DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE NEEDED TO TURN TO 340 DEGS BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. THE CTLR THEN ISSUED IMMEDIATE INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 9000 FT AND TURN R TO 070 DEGS. THE CAPT WAS VERY SLOW IN HIS RESPONSE AND WAS STILL HDG TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS. IT WAS AT THAT TIME THAT I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FROM THE CAPT; MADE A 30 DEG BANKED R TURN AND AN EXPEDITED CLB TO 9000 FT. WHEN ON A 070 DEG HDG AND AT 9000 FT; I TURNED THE ACFT BACK OVER TO THE CAPT. WE THEN MADE A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG ON RWY 16R AT RNO.