FLC FLEW AN NDB APCH IN WX THAT WAS BETTER SUITED FOR AN ILS.

Narrative

THE CAPT OF THIS FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE HIS PROFICIENCY CHK IN 2 WKS AND; DUE TO THE LACK OF PRECHK TRAINING; HE CHOSE TO PRACTICE AN NDB APCH AT THE AZO ARPT (NDB 35). HE CHOSE TO DO THE PROC BY PLT NAV WHICH INVOLVED A PROC TURN TO REESTABLISH THE ACFT ON THE INBOUND COURSE. IT WAS MY DUTY TO MONITOR HIS NAV AS WELL AS PERFORM CHKLIST ITEMS WHICH IS ALL COMPANY PROC. THE APCH UP TO THE FINAL APCH SEGMENT WAS UNEVENTFUL. HIS NDB NAV WAS GOOD. AS WE STARTED THE FINAL SEGMENT AND REACHED THE MDA; HE HAD DRIFTED L OF COURSE. AT 100 FT TO MDA MINIMUMS; I CALLED '100 FT TO MINIMUMS I'M HEADS UP.' I LOOKED UP TO SEARCH FOR THE APCH LIGHTS AND RWY. THIS IS ALL AS PER COMPANY PROC. WHAT I DID NOT SEE WAS THE FACT THAT HE HAD AGAIN DRIFTED L OF COURSE. (I WAS SEARCHING FOR LIGHTS/RWY; ETC.) HE HAD DRIFTED FAR ENOUGH L OF COURSE THAT ATC CALLED IT TO OUR ATTN. AT THIS TIME I LOOKED AT THE RMI TO NOTICE HIS EXCURSION FROM THE COURSE. ATC (AZO APCH/TWR) GAVE US A POS RPT OF THE RWY WHICH I COULD NOT SEE DUE TO THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY. A GAR WAS INITIATED AND VECTORS TO THE ILS RWY 35 AZO WERE PERFORMED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE ACFT AND PAX WERE NEEDLESSLY EXPOSED TO RISK FOR 2 REASONS. ONE IS THE FACT THAT THE CAPT FELT HE HAD TO PERFORM AN ACTUAL NON PRECISION APCH AS PRACTICE FOR HIS UPCOMING PROFICIENCY CHK. THIS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY HAS NO TIME SET ASIDE IN THE SIMULATOR TO PRACTICE APCHS/MANEUVERS THAT ARE RARELY ACTUALLY SEEN WHEN FLYING THE LINE BUT ARE TESTED FOR. SECOND REASON IS WITHOUT MY MONITORING BELOW 100 FT TO MINIMUMS; THE CAPT'S NAV WAS THUS UNCHKED UNTIL ATC BROUGHT THE DEV TO OUR ATTN. ALL NDB/NON PRECISION PRACTICE SHOULD ULTIMATELY BE DONE IN THE SIMULATOR OR ON VFR DAYS WHEN PRECISION APCHS ARE AVAILABLE AS IT WAS ON THIS DAY. THIS WOULD AFFORD THE PROFICIENCY WITHOUT PAX RISK OR DELAYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN FO ON THE DH-8 FOR A REGIONAL ACR FLYING MOSTLY IN MICHIGAN. HE BELIEVES THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS TYPE OF APCH IN ACTUAL WX CONDITIONS FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN MAKING SCHEDULE AND PROVIDING GOOD SVC. THE MINIMUMS WERE ABOUT 500 FT ON THIS APCH. THE WX WAS SAID TO BE 900 FT; BUT WAS ACTUALLY CLOSER TO THE PUBLISHED MINIMUMS. THE RPTR HAS LEARNED 'NEVER TO BELIEVE AWOS.' THE RPTR DID NOT TAKE A PROFICIENCY CHK WITH THE CAPT. THE CAPT PASSED HIS CHK AND HAS NOTHING TO FRET ABOUT FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS. THE RPTR DID NOT SPEAK UP SOONER OR MORE FORCEFULLY AS HE 'DID NOT WANT TO GET THE CAPT'S BAD SIDE.'