Narrative:

This night we were inbound to miami international approaching from the west. Miami was landing to the east and we requested the ILS to runway 8R or the localizer to 8L. We were told that the only available approach for us was visual to 8L and no explanation given as to why.it was a very clear night and the bright city light pollution made the airport indistinguishable from the city lights. We did not want a visual approach. We were told to keep the speed up to 210 and given 3000 feet. From 15 to 20 miles out we were repeatedly told to report the field in sight and we repeatedly told ATC that we did not have it. ATC kept us well north of the approach course to 8L. We were allowed to slow to 180 kts and we repeatedly asked for vectors to the approach course or vectors to the 8L localizer. This was not given and we could not get the airport environment in sight from our position.the controller seemed impatient that we could not call the field in sight and we were increasingly frustrated that he did not break us off to the left and bring us back around on the loc that we had asked for in the first place. At approximately 10 miles northwest of the field he told us that the airport was at 2 o'clock and instructed us to descend to 1600 feet. I began a manual descent and banked 10 degrees right for a moment in an effort to get the airport in sight. We asked for a confirmation that he really wanted us down to 1600. He asked again if we had the field and my increasingly frustrated first officer (first officer) replied: 'for the third time no.' the controller said 'if you don't have the airport why did you turn toward the approach course?' his tone of voice indicated that he had not meant for us to bank over and look at 2 o'clock when he called that out. My first officer was frustrated to the point of being speechless and said nothing. I tried to indicate to him that I'd had enough and wanted to have the controller break us off to the left and vector us back down wind for a new approach.a few seconds later the controller told us to turn to 060 and climb to 3000 feet to be vectored back out for a localizer approach to 8L.that was what we wanted all along and the rest of the approach went well. Looking back I wish we had asked to break off earlier or the controller had initiated it earlier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 Flight Crew flying a night visual to MIA Runway 8L reported being unable to acquire the runway because bright Miami ambient lights obscured the airport environment. The frustrated Controller ultimately vectored the flight off the visual for a Localizer 8L.

Narrative: This night we were inbound to Miami International approaching from the west. Miami was landing to the east and we requested the ILS to runway 8R or the Localizer to 8L. We were told that the only available approach for us was visual to 8L and no explanation given as to why.It was a very clear night and the bright city light pollution made the airport indistinguishable from the city lights. We did not want a visual approach. We were told to keep the speed up to 210 and given 3000 feet. From 15 to 20 miles out we were repeatedly told to report the field in sight and we repeatedly told ATC that we did not have it. ATC kept us well north of the approach course to 8L. We were allowed to slow to 180 kts and we repeatedly asked for vectors to the approach course or vectors to the 8L localizer. This was not given and we could not get the airport environment in sight from our position.The controller seemed impatient that we could not call the field in sight and we were increasingly frustrated that he did not break us off to the left and bring us back around on the loc that we had asked for in the first place. At approximately 10 miles northwest of the field he told us that the airport was at 2 o'clock and instructed us to descend to 1600 feet. I began a manual descent and banked 10 degrees right for a moment in an effort to get the airport in sight. We asked for a confirmation that he really wanted us down to 1600. He asked again if we had the field and my increasingly frustrated F/O (First Officer) replied: 'For the third time no.' The controller said 'If you don't have the airport why did you turn toward the approach course?' His tone of voice indicated that he had not meant for us to bank over and look at 2 o'clock when he called that out. My F/O was frustrated to the point of being speechless and said nothing. I tried to indicate to him that I'd had enough and wanted to have the controller break us off to the left and vector us back down wind for a new approach.A few seconds later the controller told us to turn to 060 and climb to 3000 feet to be vectored back out for a localizer approach to 8L.That was what we wanted all along and the rest of the approach went well. Looking back I wish we had asked to break off earlier or the controller had initiated it earlier.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.