HDG TRACK DEV BY A B737-200 FLC MAKING A NIGHT VISUAL TO TPA; FL.

Narrative

ON R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36L AT TPA; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN R FROM 185 DEGS TO 230 DEGS AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. SINCE 230 DEGS HAD US STILL PROCEEDING AWAY FROM THE ARPT; I COULD NOT SEE IT; BUT MY FO HAD IT; SO I ACCEPTED THE VISUAL BASED ON HIS OBSERVATION. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A 270 DEG HDG IN ORDER TO HAVE A BETTER CHANCE TO 'SEE THE RWY' OFF THE R SIDE; BUT WAS STILL UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT. I THEN BEGAN A DSCNT TO CROSS MACDILL AFB AT 2600 FT ASSIGNED. THIS AFB WAS VERY HARD TO FIND AS IT WAS A WKEND; SO THE RWYS WERE UNLIT. AFTER WE THOUGHT WE CROSSED THE AFB; I DSNDED TO 2000 FT WHICH WAS THE OM GS XING HT. BOTH NAVS WERE TURNED TO THE TPA RWY 36L ILS AND SHOWED US STILL E OF THE FINAL APCH. THE ADF WAS TUNED TO PICNY OM COMPASS LOCATOR; AND POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD INSTEAD OF NNW AS EXPECTED. THEN MY HSI SHOWED US PASSING THROUGH THE FINAL; BUT THE ADF STILL POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD (W). I CHKED MY HSI AGAINST THE FO'S AND BOTH AGREED. I THEN RECHKED THE ASDF WHICH BEGAN TO SPIN AND THEN POINT N. WHEN ALL INSTS AGREED THAT THE FINAL WAS PASSED; I BEGAN A TURN TO THE N; BUT WAS THEN INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO TURN L TO 180 DEGS AND ENTER A L DOWNWIND AS I WAS TOO FAR W OF THE FINAL. WE WERE RESEQUENCED BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT ENTERING AN ON EXTENDED L BASE; OUTSIDE OUR POS. A CALL TO THE TWR WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AFTER LNDG. THIS PROB WAS CAUSED BECAUSE OF MY CONFUSION AS TO OUR POS TO THE PICNY OM (NEEDLE LAGGING ILS INFO) AND MY FO'S ASSUMPTION THAT I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT TOO; AND THAT NO VECTORS NEEDED TO BE GIVEN. WHEN I TURNED FROM AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 230 DEGS TO 270 DEGS IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER CHANCE TO 'SEE THE ARPT;' THE FO THOUGHT I WAS CALLING IT IN SIGHT.