Narrative:

We were making our approach to pvd runway 5R ILS. The medium large transport we were flying is one of the few aircraft we have that we are not allowed to shoot on ILS below 300' and 3/4 or 4000 RVR because of a nonstandard flight director system in the airplane. Just outside the LOM at pvd, approach control gave me an RVR of 3000' due to heavy rain, but it didn't register with me until we had passed the marker and I asked again. They confirmed RVR of 3000' so I broke off the approach. I don't think they fully understood what I was talking about when I told them we were executing a missed approach because the WX was below mins. But since it was only a potential technical violation, I didn't want to get into it. I did break off the approach and that was the important thing. By the time we came around for a second approach the WX had improved enough, but approach vectored us too close to the LOM and we had to go around again because we were not in a position to land out of the approach or would not have been. Although the first officer, who was flying, was having a little trouble with his cross-scan and I was constantly having to watch his flying, the 3RD approach went better and we landed ok. The airline I fly for has 3 different cockpit configns for its medium large transport aircraft and it can really be a problem sometimes when you are trying to figure what is legal or not!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG MADE GO AROUND WHEN WX WAS REPORTED BELOW MINIMUMS FOR THE NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT ON THEIR ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE MAKING OUR APCH TO PVD RWY 5R ILS. THE MLG WE WERE FLYING IS ONE OF THE FEW ACFT WE HAVE THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOOT ON ILS BELOW 300' AND 3/4 OR 4000 RVR BECAUSE OF A NONSTANDARD FLT DIRECTOR SYSTEM IN THE AIRPLANE. JUST OUTSIDE THE LOM AT PVD, APCH CTL GAVE ME AN RVR OF 3000' DUE TO HEAVY RAIN, BUT IT DIDN'T REGISTER WITH ME UNTIL WE HAD PASSED THE MARKER AND I ASKED AGAIN. THEY CONFIRMED RVR OF 3000' SO I BROKE OFF THE APCH. I DON'T THINK THEY FULLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN I TOLD THEM WE WERE EXECUTING A MISSED APCH BECAUSE THE WX WAS BELOW MINS. BUT SINCE IT WAS ONLY A POTENTIAL TECHNICAL VIOLATION, I DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO IT. I DID BREAK OFF THE APCH AND THAT WAS THE IMPORTANT THING. BY THE TIME WE CAME AROUND FOR A SECOND APCH THE WX HAD IMPROVED ENOUGH, BUT APCH VECTORED US TOO CLOSE TO THE LOM AND WE HAD TO GO AROUND AGAIN BECAUSE WE WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO LAND OUT OF THE APCH OR WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN. ALTHOUGH THE F/O, WHO WAS FLYING, WAS HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH HIS CROSS-SCAN AND I WAS CONSTANTLY HAVING TO WATCH HIS FLYING, THE 3RD APCH WENT BETTER AND WE LANDED OK. THE AIRLINE I FLY FOR HAS 3 DIFFERENT COCKPIT CONFIGNS FOR ITS MLG ACFT AND IT CAN REALLY BE A PROBLEM SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO FIGURE WHAT IS LEGAL OR NOT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.