Narrative:

We were air carrier X landing kmlg. After bitho intersection on the approach we were given a vector by patrick approach control toward kmlb. The WX was clear but we did not have the airport in sight at that time. Shortly, we were cleared to 3000' and instructed to fly toward the mlb VOR. A few mi later, at 3000' the controller asked us if we had the airport in sight. I indicated that I knew where the airport was, but could not make out the runway lights yet. By his vector we were approaching at an angle from approximately 310-320 degree bearing to the east end of runway 9R not the approach end, which would have been more normal. At this point he did not tell us why he was vectoring us in this manner. I told my copilot that surely in a min or so he would be giving us another turn, more to the south to put us on a more normal base to final. But at this point this vector was not forthcoming. Again he asked me if the airport was in sight and I said 'no'. He cleared us to 1500'. Now we were getting very close in, at 1500' and doing about 220 KTS (we had been instructed to keep our speed up as high as possible just a little earlier). Mercs is the outer marker and satellite is a low frequency beacon at about where the middle marker would be. I asked for a vector toward mercs and the controller said 'no, he had an air carrier Y, just outside of mercs and he was trying to space us for landing in front of it.' this is the first time we knew air carrier Y was involved. I told my copilot to turn toward satellite and at same time I told the controller that we needed to turn if we were going to land and that we had the runway in sight. At this point we saw the air carrier Y at 1 O'clock. The controller said we were cleared for the visual to runway 9L. I indicated to him concern about the traffic and spacing. The air carrier Y captain at this point also indicated concern and he turned to a more south heading. This situation put us very high and fast (we had been instructed to keep our speed up). At about 1 mi from touchdown the controller turned us over to tower. Kmlb tower cleared us to land. Air carrier Y did a 180 degree turn to the right and landed after us. After landing both myself and the air carrier Y captain talked to the supervisor at patrick about the situation. Supplemental information from acn 123662: air carrier Y dab to medium large transport. We had been descended to 1500' by patrick approach control and turned from a heading of 190 degree to 090 degree to intercept the final course for a visual to runway 9R at mlb. During our previous vectoring we had heard approach talking to another aircraft also landing at mlb. He was cleared as I recall direct satellite direct. As I was not as familiar with the area, I stayed with patrick for vectors and assumed I would be #2 for the airport. As I turned final about 10 mi out at 1500' I noticed another aircraft on my left about the same altitude. Direction of movement of the other aircraft was not immediately determined since his lights were all we could see. We were lining up with the runway from the right as approach had overshot us a bit. As we approached the centerline it became obvious that the other aircraft was closing on us at our 9:30 position. Both pilots in the 2 aircraft questioned approach about this and at 5 mi we turned to 120 and broke off the approach. We were vectored for another approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR APCH CTLR VECTORING AND SEQUENCING TECHNIQUE.

Narrative: WE WERE ACR X LNDG KMLG. AFTER BITHO INTXN ON THE APCH WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR BY PATRICK APCH CTL TOWARD KMLB. THE WX WAS CLEAR BUT WE DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT THAT TIME. SHORTLY, WE WERE CLRED TO 3000' AND INSTRUCTED TO FLY TOWARD THE MLB VOR. A FEW MI LATER, AT 3000' THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I INDICATED THAT I KNEW WHERE THE ARPT WAS, BUT COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE RWY LIGHTS YET. BY HIS VECTOR WE WERE APCHING AT AN ANGLE FROM APPROX 310-320 DEG BEARING TO THE E END OF RWY 9R NOT THE APCH END, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE NORMAL. AT THIS POINT HE DID NOT TELL US WHY HE WAS VECTORING US IN THIS MANNER. I TOLD MY COPLT THAT SURELY IN A MIN OR SO HE WOULD BE GIVING US ANOTHER TURN, MORE TO THE S TO PUT US ON A MORE NORMAL BASE TO FINAL. BUT AT THIS POINT THIS VECTOR WAS NOT FORTHCOMING. AGAIN HE ASKED ME IF THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT AND I SAID 'NO'. HE CLRED US TO 1500'. NOW WE WERE GETTING VERY CLOSE IN, AT 1500' AND DOING ABOUT 220 KTS (WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO KEEP OUR SPEED UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE JUST A LITTLE EARLIER). MERCS IS THE OUTER MARKER AND SATELLITE IS A LOW FREQ BEACON AT ABOUT WHERE THE MIDDLE MARKER WOULD BE. I ASKED FOR A VECTOR TOWARD MERCS AND THE CTLR SAID 'NO, HE HAD AN ACR Y, JUST OUTSIDE OF MERCS AND HE WAS TRYING TO SPACE US FOR LNDG IN FRONT OF IT.' THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE KNEW ACR Y WAS INVOLVED. I TOLD MY COPLT TO TURN TOWARD SATELLITE AND AT SAME TIME I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE NEEDED TO TURN IF WE WERE GOING TO LAND AND THAT WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. AT THIS POINT WE SAW THE ACR Y AT 1 O'CLOCK. THE CTLR SAID WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 9L. I INDICATED TO HIM CONCERN ABOUT THE TFC AND SPACING. THE ACR Y CAPT AT THIS POINT ALSO INDICATED CONCERN AND HE TURNED TO A MORE S HDG. THIS SITUATION PUT US VERY HIGH AND FAST (WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO KEEP OUR SPEED UP). AT ABOUT 1 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN THE CTLR TURNED US OVER TO TWR. KMLB TWR CLRED US TO LAND. ACR Y DID A 180 DEG TURN TO THE RIGHT AND LANDED AFTER US. AFTER LNDG BOTH MYSELF AND THE ACR Y CAPT TALKED TO THE SUPVR AT PATRICK ABOUT THE SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 123662: ACR Y DAB TO MLG. WE HAD BEEN DESCENDED TO 1500' BY PATRICK APCH CTL AND TURNED FROM A HDG OF 190 DEG TO 090 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL COURSE FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 9R AT MLB. DURING OUR PREVIOUS VECTORING WE HAD HEARD APCH TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT ALSO LNDG AT MLB. HE WAS CLRED AS I RECALL DIRECT SATELLITE DIRECT. AS I WAS NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I STAYED WITH PATRICK FOR VECTORS AND ASSUMED I WOULD BE #2 FOR THE ARPT. AS I TURNED FINAL ABOUT 10 MI OUT AT 1500' I NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT ON MY LEFT ABOUT THE SAME ALT. DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY DETERMINED SINCE HIS LIGHTS WERE ALL WE COULD SEE. WE WERE LINING UP WITH THE RWY FROM THE RIGHT AS APCH HAD OVERSHOT US A BIT. AS WE APCHED THE CENTERLINE IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLOSING ON US AT OUR 9:30 POSITION. BOTH PLTS IN THE 2 ACFT QUESTIONED APCH ABOUT THIS AND AT 5 MI WE TURNED TO 120 AND BROKE OFF THE APCH. WE WERE VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH.

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.