Narrative:

ATC vectored air carrier X for an ILS to runway 9L. When we were turned on base leg we were advised to expect a visual to runway 9R following a widebody transport that reported a 7 KT drop in airspeed due to windshear. We were instructed to maintain 170 KTS to iness but we did not have sufficient visibility to accept visual clearance behind the other widebody transport without approach controller we continued to iness at 170 KTS and 3000 MSL. Inside iness ATC cleared us for a visual approach to runway 9L from 3000 MSL. With the autoplt in localizer altitude hold and speed mode the captain had selected 140 KTS altitude gear down and flaps 20 degrees at iness. I told ATC we could not accept the visual to runway 9L, since all 3 of us could not see runway 9L due to heavy rain over the runway, to which the controller replied, 'oh really, that's news to me.' simultaneously the stick shaker started, I called it out 'speed and power.' the bug was reset to 170 KTS and the left autothrottle failed. After an asymmetric thrust and low speed recovery with no altitude loss we began vectors south and west for another approach. On the downwind we were told to follow a company widebody transport for a visual to 9R. We turned to follow the only widebody transport we could see and on base leg the controller said that is not the widebody transport you're to follow, continue wbound. We turned back west and the controller said follow the widebody transport at your 12 O'clock and 3 mi. We followed that aircraft to a successful approach and landing on runway 9R. Our deviation from ATC's vector on base was not intentional and did not result in an unsafe operation, however, I feel the controller(south) at mia have too little WX information. When I see this situation and hear from them that they don't even know that their runways are blanked in heavy rain. Also, the controllers need to be aware that last min runway changes must be programmed into our computers, retuned in our frequency boxes, idented aurally and that this all takes time to accomplish procedurally and accurately so that we do not land on the wrong runway and/or airport. Supplemental information from acn 214754: augmented crew arrived miami from madrid. All crewmembers on flight deck. Vectored for landing runway 9R kmia. At 3000 ft MSL inbound to iness (FAF) advised to hold 170 KTS to iness. Prior to iness advised approach would now be visual to runway 9L. Continuing inbound could see heavy rain obscuring approach and the only runway visible was runway 9R. So advised mia approach. ATC then turned us to 180 degree heading. Maintained 3000 ft. Never actually cleared for any approach to this point. After some period on 180 degree heading, we were vectored to 270 degrees for downwind. We were advised our approach would now be behind a company widebody transport at 18 mi on final for runway 9L. Seeing traffic in correct position a turn was initiated to visually follow and ATC was advised. Mia approach picked us up in the turn and asked for a hard turn back to 270 degrees. We complied. ATC advised we closed to 3 mi from another widebody transport. We were then vectored for ILS 9R approach and landing. Too many changes between runways, too many changes between IFR and VFR, and no clearance for approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL RWYS MADE UNAUTHORIZED TURN WHILE ON RADAR VECTOR FOR VISUAL APCH. FLC SAW WRONG ACFT.

Narrative: ATC VECTORED ACR X FOR AN ILS TO RWY 9L. WHEN WE WERE TURNED ON BASE LEG WE WERE ADVISED TO EXPECT A VISUAL TO RWY 9R FOLLOWING A WDB THAT RPTED A 7 KT DROP IN AIRSPD DUE TO WINDSHEAR. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 170 KTS TO INESS BUT WE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT VISIBILITY TO ACCEPT VISUAL CLRNC BEHIND THE OTHER WDB WITHOUT APCH CTLR WE CONTINUED TO INESS AT 170 KTS AND 3000 MSL. INSIDE INESS ATC CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9L FROM 3000 MSL. WITH THE AUTOPLT IN LOC ALT HOLD AND SPD MODE THE CAPT HAD SELECTED 140 KTS ALT GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 20 DEGS AT INESS. I TOLD ATC WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THE VISUAL TO RWY 9L, SINCE ALL 3 OF US COULD NOT SEE RWY 9L DUE TO HVY RAIN OVER THE RWY, TO WHICH THE CTLR REPLIED, 'OH REALLY, THAT'S NEWS TO ME.' SIMULTANEOUSLY THE STICK SHAKER STARTED, I CALLED IT OUT 'SPD AND PWR.' THE BUG WAS RESET TO 170 KTS AND THE L AUTOTHROTTLE FAILED. AFTER AN ASYMMETRIC THRUST AND LOW SPD RECOVERY WITH NO ALT LOSS WE BEGAN VECTORS S AND W FOR ANOTHER APCH. ON THE DOWNWIND WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW A COMPANY WDB FOR A VISUAL TO 9R. WE TURNED TO FOLLOW THE ONLY WDB WE COULD SEE AND ON BASE LEG THE CTLR SAID THAT IS NOT THE WDB YOU'RE TO FOLLOW, CONTINUE WBOUND. WE TURNED BACK W AND THE CTLR SAID FOLLOW THE WDB AT YOUR 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI. WE FOLLOWED THAT ACFT TO A SUCCESSFUL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 9R. OUR DEV FROM ATC'S VECTOR ON BASE WAS NOT INTENTIONAL AND DID NOT RESULT IN AN UNSAFE OP, HOWEVER, I FEEL THE CTLR(S) AT MIA HAVE TOO LITTLE WX INFO. WHEN I SEE THIS SITUATION AND HEAR FROM THEM THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEIR RWYS ARE BLANKED IN HVY RAIN. ALSO, THE CTLRS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT LAST MIN RWY CHANGES MUST BE PROGRAMMED INTO OUR COMPUTERS, RETUNED IN OUR FREQ BOXES, IDENTED AURALLY AND THAT THIS ALL TAKES TIME TO ACCOMPLISH PROCEDURALLY AND ACCURATELY SO THAT WE DO NOT LAND ON THE WRONG RWY AND/OR ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 214754: AUGMENTED CREW ARRIVED MIAMI FROM MADRID. ALL CREWMEMBERS ON FLT DECK. VECTORED FOR LNDG RWY 9R KMIA. AT 3000 FT MSL INBOUND TO INESS (FAF) ADVISED TO HOLD 170 KTS TO INESS. PRIOR TO INESS ADVISED APCH WOULD NOW BE VISUAL TO RWY 9L. CONTINUING INBOUND COULD SEE HVY RAIN OBSCURING APCH AND THE ONLY RWY VISIBLE WAS RWY 9R. SO ADVISED MIA APCH. ATC THEN TURNED US TO 180 DEG HDG. MAINTAINED 3000 FT. NEVER ACTUALLY CLRED FOR ANY APCH TO THIS POINT. AFTER SOME PERIOD ON 180 DEG HDG, WE WERE VECTORED TO 270 DEGS FOR DOWNWIND. WE WERE ADVISED OUR APCH WOULD NOW BE BEHIND A COMPANY WDB AT 18 MI ON FINAL FOR RWY 9L. SEEING TFC IN CORRECT POS A TURN WAS INITIATED TO VISUALLY FOLLOW AND ATC WAS ADVISED. MIA APCH PICKED US UP IN THE TURN AND ASKED FOR A HARD TURN BACK TO 270 DEGS. WE COMPLIED. ATC ADVISED WE CLOSED TO 3 MI FROM ANOTHER WDB. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FOR ILS 9R APCH AND LNDG. TOO MANY CHANGES BTWN RWYS, TOO MANY CHANGES BTWN IFR AND VFR, AND NO CLRNC FOR APCH.

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.