Narrative:

Captain and first officer were flying their 6TH leg of the day and had been on duty 12 1/2 hours at arrival. Approach control turned us over to tower and tower cleared us to land on runway 27R. We were flying the ILS and all was complete on the checklist. Tower, after clearing us to land, cleared a heavy into position to hold for traffic departing the parallel and traffic on final was 8 mi out -- us. Everything appeared normal and as planned, then as we approached closer, we never heard tower clear the heavy for takeoff. Upon looking closer at the runway it appeared the heavy was still in position. The first officer, who was flying, and I questioned each other as to the heavy in position. It was very difficult to see the heavy in position, as with an mia airport there are a lot of lights to obscure. I called tower to 'reconfirm cleared to land.' there was no response. I called a second time, still no response. By now, we are approaching 'short' final at 400 ft AGL and heavy still appeared in position. We called for 'go around' and initiated a go around. As we set maximum power and gained positive rate, I again called tower (3RD time) and tower answered with 'go around, heading 340 degrees go around!' we replied and requested an altitude. Tower then gave us vectors, altitude, etc, and reclred us to land. It was uneventful. On the ground we spoke to tower and they confirmed they had lost communications for a few mins and asked if we had seen the 'red light from tower to go around?' we had not. In this case, tower was located across field -- a long way away and buried in the mass of lights of mia. This became an uneventful go around. However, visions of an lax accident came to mind with this crew, and I am sure the controller was very concerned! Some points to remember that saved this crew and for other crews to maybe keep in mind: 1) always use the approach for the runway landing including a briefing of, and in particular the missed procedures. Had we not reestablished communications we were prepared to fly the published procedures. 2) be attentive to what other aircraft are doing, where they are. This was the reason we knew the heavy was still on the hold as seeing was very difficult in the night. 3) be alert to where tower is and take a look in that direction, if we would have them maybe we could see the light signal and gone around before the tower personnel had heart problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GAR DUE TO ATC LOST COM.

Narrative: CAPT AND FO WERE FLYING THEIR 6TH LEG OF THE DAY AND HAD BEEN ON DUTY 12 1/2 HRS AT ARR. APCH CTL TURNED US OVER TO TWR AND TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 27R. WE WERE FLYING THE ILS AND ALL WAS COMPLETE ON THE CHKLIST. TWR, AFTER CLRING US TO LAND, CLRED A HVY INTO POS TO HOLD FOR TFC DEPARTING THE PARALLEL AND TFC ON FINAL WAS 8 MI OUT -- US. EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL AND AS PLANNED, THEN AS WE APCHED CLOSER, WE NEVER HEARD TWR CLR THE HVY FOR TKOF. UPON LOOKING CLOSER AT THE RWY IT APPEARED THE HVY WAS STILL IN POS. THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, AND I QUESTIONED EACH OTHER AS TO THE HVY IN POS. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HVY IN POS, AS WITH AN MIA ARPT THERE ARE A LOT OF LIGHTS TO OBSCURE. I CALLED TWR TO 'RECONFIRM CLRED TO LAND.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I CALLED A SECOND TIME, STILL NO RESPONSE. BY NOW, WE ARE APCHING 'SHORT' FINAL AT 400 FT AGL AND HVY STILL APPEARED IN POS. WE CALLED FOR 'GAR' AND INITIATED A GAR. AS WE SET MAX PWR AND GAINED POSITIVE RATE, I AGAIN CALLED TWR (3RD TIME) AND TWR ANSWERED WITH 'GAR, HDG 340 DEGS GAR!' WE REPLIED AND REQUESTED AN ALT. TWR THEN GAVE US VECTORS, ALT, ETC, AND RECLRED US TO LAND. IT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON THE GND WE SPOKE TO TWR AND THEY CONFIRMED THEY HAD LOST COMS FOR A FEW MINS AND ASKED IF WE HAD SEEN THE 'RED LIGHT FROM TWR TO GAR?' WE HAD NOT. IN THIS CASE, TWR WAS LOCATED ACROSS FIELD -- A LONG WAY AWAY AND BURIED IN THE MASS OF LIGHTS OF MIA. THIS BECAME AN UNEVENTFUL GAR. HOWEVER, VISIONS OF AN LAX ACCIDENT CAME TO MIND WITH THIS CREW, AND I AM SURE THE CTLR WAS VERY CONCERNED! SOME POINTS TO REMEMBER THAT SAVED THIS CREW AND FOR OTHER CREWS TO MAYBE KEEP IN MIND: 1) ALWAYS USE THE APCH FOR THE RWY LNDG INCLUDING A BRIEFING OF, AND IN PARTICULAR THE MISSED PROCS. HAD WE NOT REESTABLISHED COMS WE WERE PREPARED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED PROCS. 2) BE ATTENTIVE TO WHAT OTHER ACFT ARE DOING, WHERE THEY ARE. THIS WAS THE REASON WE KNEW THE HVY WAS STILL ON THE HOLD AS SEEING WAS VERY DIFFICULT IN THE NIGHT. 3) BE ALERT TO WHERE TWR IS AND TAKE A LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION, IF WE WOULD HAVE THEM MAYBE WE COULD SEE THE LIGHT SIGNAL AND GONE AROUND BEFORE THE TWR PERSONNEL HAD HEART PROBS.

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.