Air carrier medium large transport aircraft lined up with wrong runway after go around.

Attributes
ACN	205235
Time
Date	199203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 900 agl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	205235
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared to land runway 14L 10 mi final at approximately 900 ft AGL on GS tower clears aircraft in position/hold to wait for departure in progress. Garbled takeoff clearance issued to position/hold aircraft twice before takeoff and we had to go around. Told to go around right side of runway. Enter downwind 14L. While remaining clear of departure aircraft, TCASII RA alert goes off and tower clears us to land again runway 14L. While turning base for second attempt another aircraft cleared in position and hold. While on final it became apparent another go around would be needed. After landing a discussion with ground controller, he claimed the tower issued instructions to land runway 8. Because I was unfamiliar with the runway layout and my approach to 14L was briefed, it was impossible to fly downwind, look for traffic, perform a visual approach to 14L, and be expected to look at the airport layout chart for runway location and runway length. I explicitly told him that I requested runway 14L due to the above factors. He still put another aircraft in position and thus my second go around was performed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ACFT LINED UP WITH WRONG RWY AFTER GAR.

Narrative: CLRED TO LAND RWY 14L 10 MI FINAL AT APPROX 900 FT AGL ON GS TWR CLRS ACFT IN POS/HOLD TO WAIT FOR DEP IN PROGRESS. GARBLED TKOF CLRNC ISSUED TO POS/HOLD ACFT TWICE BEFORE TKOF AND WE HAD TO GAR. TOLD TO GAR R SIDE OF RWY. ENTER DOWNWIND 14L. WHILE REMAINING CLR OF DEP ACFT, TCASII RA ALERT GOES OFF AND TWR CLRS US TO LAND AGAIN RWY 14L. WHILE TURNING BASE FOR SECOND ATTEMPT ANOTHER ACFT CLRED IN POS AND HOLD. WHILE ON FINAL IT BECAME APPARENT ANOTHER GAR WOULD BE NEEDED. AFTER LNDG A DISCUSSION WITH GND CTLR, HE CLAIMED THE TWR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO LAND RWY 8. BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RWY LAYOUT AND MY APCH TO 14L WAS BRIEFED, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO FLY DOWNWIND, LOOK FOR TFC, PERFORM A VISUAL APCH TO 14L, AND BE EXPECTED TO LOOK AT THE ARPT LAYOUT CHART FOR RWY LOCATION AND RWY LENGTH. I EXPLICITLY TOLD HIM THAT I REQUESTED RWY 14L DUE TO THE ABOVE FACTORS. HE STILL PUT ANOTHER ACFT IN POS AND THUS MY SECOND GAR WAS PERFORMED.

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.