Narrative:

Sky partially obscured, no clouds but strong northwest winds, 26 gusting to 40 KTS causing blowing dust. Visibility reported on ATIS and tower as 2 mi. Approach in use ILS 35R, circle to land runway 31. At MDA runway 35R was and had been clearly in sight, but runway 31 was not seen until go around was initiated. During go around I raised gear and flaps on captain's command and talked to tower and approach control to report the go around. Additional xmissions were made to answer their questions on reason for go around (tower) and intentions (approach/departure controller). As soon as my duties permitted, I started my backup scan of the flight INS and saw we were climbing through 3700-3800' MSL. I reminded the captain we were only cleared to 3000' and pointed to the 3000' set in the the altitude alert window. The captain immediately descended to 3000' MSL. No conflict ensued. The winds abated somewhat and were reported as 26 KTS with no gusts on the tower's gauges. An ILS to 35R was made and landing completed west/O incident. In reviewing the incident in my mind later, I realized that although the captain and I discussed the initial INS approach prior to initiating it, and although we made sure we had the next higher category limits for a circling approach as required by our company (CAT D vs CAT C straight in), we both failed to remember company circling minimums of 1000'/3 mi. The lack of ceiling/clouds lulled us into not completely recognizing the visibility as equal to or above the charted minimums, but below the company visibility requirements. All ceiling/visibility/crosswind requirements were met on the successful approach/landing. As regards the altitude deviation, my cockpit duties of changing the aircraft confign and communications as well as trying to maintain a visibility lookout to the right while in a right-hand turn precluded me from backing up the captain immediately on an INS scan during the go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CIRCLING APCH TO OKC, OVERSHOT RWY AND PERFORMED MISSED APCH. ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED, NO CLOUDS BUT STRONG NW WINDS, 26 GUSTING TO 40 KTS CAUSING BLOWING DUST. VISIBILITY RPTED ON ATIS AND TWR AS 2 MI. APCH IN USE ILS 35R, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 31. AT MDA RWY 35R WAS AND HAD BEEN CLEARLY IN SIGHT, BUT RWY 31 WAS NOT SEEN UNTIL GAR WAS INITIATED. DURING GAR I RAISED GEAR AND FLAPS ON CAPT'S COMMAND AND TALKED TO TWR AND APCH CTL TO RPT THE GAR. ADDITIONAL XMISSIONS WERE MADE TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS ON REASON FOR GAR (TWR) AND INTENTIONS (APCH/DEP CTLR). AS SOON AS MY DUTIES PERMITTED, I STARTED MY BACKUP SCAN OF THE FLT INS AND SAW WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 3700-3800' MSL. I REMINDED THE CAPT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 3000' AND POINTED TO THE 3000' SET IN THE THE ALT ALERT WINDOW. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO 3000' MSL. NO CONFLICT ENSUED. THE WINDS ABATED SOMEWHAT AND WERE RPTED AS 26 KTS WITH NO GUSTS ON THE TWR'S GAUGES. AN ILS TO 35R WAS MADE AND LNDG COMPLETED W/O INCIDENT. IN REVIEWING THE INCIDENT IN MY MIND LATER, I REALIZED THAT ALTHOUGH THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE INITIAL INS APCH PRIOR TO INITIATING IT, AND ALTHOUGH WE MADE SURE WE HAD THE NEXT HIGHER CATEGORY LIMITS FOR A CIRCLING APCH AS REQUIRED BY OUR COMPANY (CAT D VS CAT C STRAIGHT IN), WE BOTH FAILED TO REMEMBER COMPANY CIRCLING MINIMUMS OF 1000'/3 MI. THE LACK OF CEILING/CLOUDS LULLED US INTO NOT COMPLETELY RECOGNIZING THE VISIBILITY AS EQUAL TO OR ABOVE THE CHARTED MINIMUMS, BUT BELOW THE COMPANY VISIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. ALL CEILING/VISIBILITY/XWIND REQUIREMENTS WERE MET ON THE SUCCESSFUL APCH/LNDG. AS REGARDS THE ALT DEVIATION, MY COCKPIT DUTIES OF CHANGING THE ACFT CONFIGN AND COMS AS WELL AS TRYING TO MAINTAIN A VIS LOOKOUT TO THE RIGHT WHILE IN A RIGHT-HAND TURN PRECLUDED ME FROM BACKING UP THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY ON AN INS SCAN DURING THE GAR.

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.