Narrative:

Clt had thunderstorms to the northwest moving southeast and we had successfully naved around them with approach control's help for deviations. We were on a 100 degree heading at 7000 ft being vectored for the approach to runway 18R. There were a lot of aircraft talking to approach and he was blocked out several times. We finally got a lower altitude and got the airport in sight with approach still vectoring us, now toward the southwest for a visual approach. We completed the landing checklist so as to get the best possible descent rate. We also told approach we could not make a straight-in approach, but could make a right 270 degree turn and then line upon final for runway 18R. Approach could not do this, so we cleaned up the aircraft and he vectored us back to another slot in line for runway 18R at 4000 ft. Approach kept us up high again for the approach, and asked if we had the airport when he turned us back on final. We confirmed we had the airport and he cleared us for a visual. At this point we noticed we had a 30 KT tailwind. The aircraft would not descend at a sufficient rate to make a good approach to the runway. I told the captain that I was going to have to go around, because I felt we could not make a safe approach. We then executed the missed approach and approach control brought us around for a third approach, which was made planning on the 30 KT tailwind at altitude, and calm winds on the airport. On the approach we received 10 KT fluctuations of airspeed, but the landing was made uneventful. I feel we did everything possible to make a safe but good rate of descent. However, approach control seemed to be overloaded with traffic, causing problems with the system, which caused us to have to execute 3 approachs for 1 landing. Also, shortly after landing, the traffic pattern was shifted to a northerly flow, as the wind picked up and shifted out of the north, on the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG MADE 3 APCHS FOR 1 LNDG.

Narrative: CLT HAD TSTMS TO THE NW MOVING SE AND WE HAD SUCCESSFULLY NAVED AROUND THEM WITH APCH CTL'S HELP FOR DEVS. WE WERE ON A 100 DEG HDG AT 7000 FT BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH TO RWY 18R. THERE WERE A LOT OF ACFT TALKING TO APCH AND HE WAS BLOCKED OUT SEVERAL TIMES. WE FINALLY GOT A LOWER ALT AND GOT THE ARPT IN SIGHT WITH APCH STILL VECTORING US, NOW TOWARD THE SW FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE COMPLETED THE LNDG CHKLIST SO AS TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE DSCNT RATE. WE ALSO TOLD APCH WE COULD NOT MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH, BUT COULD MAKE A R 270 DEG TURN AND THEN LINE UPON FINAL FOR RWY 18R. APCH COULD NOT DO THIS, SO WE CLEANED UP THE ACFT AND HE VECTORED US BACK TO ANOTHER SLOT IN LINE FOR RWY 18R AT 4000 FT. APCH KEPT US UP HIGH AGAIN FOR THE APCH, AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT WHEN HE TURNED US BACK ON FINAL. WE CONFIRMED WE HAD THE ARPT AND HE CLRED US FOR A VISUAL. AT THIS POINT WE NOTICED WE HAD A 30 KT TAILWIND. THE ACFT WOULD NOT DSND AT A SUFFICIENT RATE TO MAKE A GOOD APCH TO THE RWY. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GAR, BECAUSE I FELT WE COULD NOT MAKE A SAFE APCH. WE THEN EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH AND APCH CTL BROUGHT US AROUND FOR A THIRD APCH, WHICH WAS MADE PLANNING ON THE 30 KT TAILWIND AT ALT, AND CALM WINDS ON THE ARPT. ON THE APCH WE RECEIVED 10 KT FLUCTUATIONS OF AIRSPD, BUT THE LNDG WAS MADE UNEVENTFUL. I FEEL WE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE A SAFE BUT GOOD RATE OF DSCNT. HOWEVER, APCH CTL SEEMED TO BE OVERLOADED WITH TFC, CAUSING PROBS WITH THE SYS, WHICH CAUSED US TO HAVE TO EXECUTE 3 APCHS FOR 1 LNDG. ALSO, SHORTLY AFTER LNDG, THE TFC PATTERN WAS SHIFTED TO A NORTHERLY FLOW, AS THE WIND PICKED UP AND SHIFTED OUT OF THE N, ON THE ARPT.

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.