Narrative:

We were being vectored for an approach to sea. The WX at sea at the time was 3000' broken, 5 mi visibility, wind 330 degrees at 6 KTS. We were to call the airport when we had it in sight. Between our position and the airport was a broken deck and lots of haze. We could not see the airport. Approach control asked if we saw an medium large transport Y on final to runway 16L. We had him in sight and reported same. We were cleared for a visibility approach to runway 16R. I delayed my turn on till the medium large transport Y passed our 12 O'clock so I could keep him sight ahead of me. I turned in on the localizer for runway 16R. I expected the medium large transport Y to be offset left of the localizer. The medium large transport Y was on the localizer and we ended up below and behind the medium large transport Y. At that point, neither the airport nor the runways could be seen. As I was about to sidestep to the right the medium large transport X reported that he did not have the airport in sight and the approach control then cleared him for an ILS 16R. Both aircraft were above the haze, therefore I was operating with VFR sep. After the approach control issued the ILS clearance to the medium large transport Y I was about to turn away and report, but the approach control beat me to it. Approach turned me to 090 degrees and for another approach. Thus this was the first go around. We were vectored back for another approach. We were cleared for to intercept the ILS 16R and for another approach. They did it again. They put us just ahead of one of our medium large transport Z. He reported that the gap was too small and he would have a problem staying behind us. At the marker the airport was finally visible. We called the airport and tower cleared us to land on runway 16L. I immediately sidestepped left to give our medium large transport Z room to continue for runway 16R. At a point less than 500', tower again cleared us to land but with caution from departing widebody transport a wake turbulence. He then cleared our widebody transport a for takeoff. A widebody transport a is heavy and is slow to move into position and start the takeoff roll. I had slowed to absolutely minimum speed to give us the largest gap between the widebody transport a and us. At about 150' it was evident that if we continued we would land while the widebody transport a was still on the runway. Being as there was a tailwind and being too close to a heavy taking off I deemed the safest action was to go around. We did, this being #2. The following approach was normal. No other aircraft was on the approach with us. We made an ILS approach to runway 16R and landed west/O further incident. I feel the procedure by approach control of placing 2 aircraft near each other for a simultaneous approach and landing when airborne visibility is restr and the runways cannot be seen is dangerous. I was surprised that it happened a second time with the second approach. I thought it was a 1 time slip. The fact that it happened the second time proved it is policy. It should be changed. A NASA report is also being filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB WAS CLEARED FOR TKOF WITH AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL APCH WHICH CAUSED A GO AROUND.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN APCH TO SEA. THE WX AT SEA AT THE TIME WAS 3000' BROKEN, 5 MI VISIBILITY, WIND 330 DEGS AT 6 KTS. WE WERE TO CALL THE ARPT WHEN WE HAD IT IN SIGHT. BTWN OUR POS AND THE ARPT WAS A BROKEN DECK AND LOTS OF HAZE. WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. APCH CTL ASKED IF WE SAW AN MLG Y ON FINAL TO RWY 16L. WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND RPTED SAME. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 16R. I DELAYED MY TURN ON TILL THE MLG Y PASSED OUR 12 O'CLOCK SO I COULD KEEP HIM SIGHT AHEAD OF ME. I TURNED IN ON THE LOC FOR RWY 16R. I EXPECTED THE MLG Y TO BE OFFSET LEFT OF THE LOC. THE MLG Y WAS ON THE LOC AND WE ENDED UP BELOW AND BEHIND THE MLG Y. AT THAT POINT, NEITHER THE ARPT NOR THE RWYS COULD BE SEEN. AS I WAS ABOUT TO SIDESTEP TO THE RIGHT THE MLG X RPTED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THE APCH CTL THEN CLRED HIM FOR AN ILS 16R. BOTH ACFT WERE ABOVE THE HAZE, THEREFORE I WAS OPERATING WITH VFR SEP. AFTER THE APCH CTL ISSUED THE ILS CLRNC TO THE MLG Y I WAS ABOUT TO TURN AWAY AND RPT, BUT THE APCH CTL BEAT ME TO IT. APCH TURNED ME TO 090 DEGS AND FOR ANOTHER APCH. THUS THIS WAS THE FIRST GO AROUND. WE WERE VECTORED BACK FOR ANOTHER APCH. WE WERE CLRED FOR TO INTERCEPT THE ILS 16R AND FOR ANOTHER APCH. THEY DID IT AGAIN. THEY PUT US JUST AHEAD OF ONE OF OUR MLG Z. HE RPTED THAT THE GAP WAS TOO SMALL AND HE WOULD HAVE A PROB STAYING BEHIND US. AT THE MARKER THE ARPT WAS FINALLY VISIBLE. WE CALLED THE ARPT AND TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 16L. I IMMEDIATELY SIDESTEPPED LEFT TO GIVE OUR MLG Z ROOM TO CONTINUE FOR RWY 16R. AT A POINT LESS THAN 500', TWR AGAIN CLRED US TO LAND BUT WITH CAUTION FROM DEPARTING WDB A WAKE TURB. HE THEN CLRED OUR WDB A FOR TKOF. A WDB A IS HVY AND IS SLOW TO MOVE INTO POS AND START THE TKOF ROLL. I HAD SLOWED TO ABSOLUTELY MINIMUM SPD TO GIVE US THE LARGEST GAP BTWN THE WDB A AND US. AT ABOUT 150' IT WAS EVIDENT THAT IF WE CONTINUED WE WOULD LAND WHILE THE WDB A WAS STILL ON THE RWY. BEING AS THERE WAS A TAILWIND AND BEING TOO CLOSE TO A HVY TAKING OFF I DEEMED THE SAFEST ACTION WAS TO GO AROUND. WE DID, THIS BEING #2. THE FOLLOWING APCH WAS NORMAL. NO OTHER ACFT WAS ON THE APCH WITH US. WE MADE AN ILS APCH TO RWY 16R AND LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I FEEL THE PROC BY APCH CTL OF PLACING 2 ACFT NEAR EACH OTHER FOR A SIMULTANEOUS APCH AND LNDG WHEN AIRBORNE VISIBILITY IS RESTR AND THE RWYS CANNOT BE SEEN IS DANGEROUS. I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME WITH THE SECOND APCH. I THOUGHT IT WAS A 1 TIME SLIP. THE FACT THAT IT HAPPENED THE SECOND TIME PROVED IT IS POLICY. IT SHOULD BE CHANGED. A NASA RPT IS ALSO BEING FILED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.