Narrative:

In sum: all night trips. I picked up flight on reserve as the result of a broken sequence for a dfw crew. It consisted of 1 leg to dfw arriving at about XE30 local time and a deadhead home. I was able to sleep in, nap, and the trip went quite well for the most part. We even obtained direct routing from ATC which saved 300 pounds and 5 mins or so. We were functioning well throughout the flight. Upon arrival in dfw, however, the fatigue problem was graphically displayed. Inbound from bridgeport, we expected a landing on runway 18R, with low south winds. About 20 mi out approach control advised us winds were now 340 degrees at 22 KTS and asked all of us inbound aircraft what runway we wanted. The ensuing quote turning the airport around unquote became a mess. I presume most aircraft had dfw crews returning from double all-nighters or the hnl non-stop. (Air carrier Y) declared minimum fuel. At that time I started assuming that the controller had been up all night too, for things got more muddled. We were ultimately told to call the airport in sight (it was in our 6 O'clock position) and then vectored into a 2 mi trail situation. We foolishly accepted the visual and later I realized we were making poor decisions as well as the other people involved. We tried to 'make our approach work,' by slowing immediately, but an unusual low stratus 'band' surprisingly obscured our view. We waited too long to report we had lost traffic, and when we did, ATC turned us out of the pattern at about 2300 ft, sort of a high altitude go around. I didn't accomplish that as well as I would have liked, but we came back and landed a few mins later, after bouts with moderate turbulence and a no shift wind shear scenario on final. Throttles at idle, gear and full flaps, the plane would not decelerate parens (showed) we were descending at about 900 FPM, but at 180 KTS, deceleration should have occurred end parens. I noted the problem to the first officer and we added 20 KTS to the approach speed and were vigilant. On this supposedly and forecast cavu night, we lost those 20 KTS at about 1000 ft. We landed uneventfully, but I write all of this because I thought we did only okay, not up to my standards. But it was only XC30 body time for me and I wondered how the dfw crews, having been up all night and at the worst time for them, coped.....all night flts scheduling needs a close look.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG FAILED TO RPT THAT THE VISUAL TFC SIGHTING WAS LOST RESULTING IN ATC SENDING ACFT AROUND.

Narrative: IN SUM: ALL NIGHT TRIPS. I PICKED UP FLT ON RESERVE AS THE RESULT OF A BROKEN SEQUENCE FOR A DFW CREW. IT CONSISTED OF 1 LEG TO DFW ARRIVING AT ABOUT XE30 LCL TIME AND A DEADHEAD HOME. I WAS ABLE TO SLEEP IN, NAP, AND THE TRIP WENT QUITE WELL FOR THE MOST PART. WE EVEN OBTAINED DIRECT ROUTING FROM ATC WHICH SAVED 300 LBS AND 5 MINS OR SO. WE WERE FUNCTIONING WELL THROUGHOUT THE FLT. UPON ARR IN DFW, HOWEVER, THE FATIGUE PROB WAS GRAPHICALLY DISPLAYED. INBOUND FROM BRIDGEPORT, WE EXPECTED A LNDG ON RWY 18R, WITH LOW S WINDS. ABOUT 20 MI OUT APCH CTL ADVISED US WINDS WERE NOW 340 DEGS AT 22 KTS AND ASKED ALL OF US INBOUND ACFT WHAT RWY WE WANTED. THE ENSUING QUOTE TURNING THE ARPT AROUND UNQUOTE BECAME A MESS. I PRESUME MOST ACFT HAD DFW CREWS RETURNING FROM DOUBLE ALL-NIGHTERS OR THE HNL NON-STOP. (ACR Y) DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. AT THAT TIME I STARTED ASSUMING THAT THE CTLR HAD BEEN UP ALL NIGHT TOO, FOR THINGS GOT MORE MUDDLED. WE WERE ULTIMATELY TOLD TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT (IT WAS IN OUR 6 O'CLOCK POS) AND THEN VECTORED INTO A 2 MI TRAIL SIT. WE FOOLISHLY ACCEPTED THE VISUAL AND LATER I REALIZED WE WERE MAKING POOR DECISIONS AS WELL AS THE OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED. WE TRIED TO 'MAKE OUR APCH WORK,' BY SLOWING IMMEDIATELY, BUT AN UNUSUAL LOW STRATUS 'BAND' SURPRISINGLY OBSCURED OUR VIEW. WE WAITED TOO LONG TO RPT WE HAD LOST TFC, AND WHEN WE DID, ATC TURNED US OUT OF THE PATTERN AT ABOUT 2300 FT, SORT OF A HIGH ALT GAR. I DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH THAT AS WELL AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED, BUT WE CAME BACK AND LANDED A FEW MINS LATER, AFTER BOUTS WITH MODERATE TURB AND A NO SHIFT WIND SHEAR SCENARIO ON FINAL. THROTTLES AT IDLE, GEAR AND FULL FLAPS, THE PLANE WOULD NOT DECELERATE PARENS (SHOWED) WE WERE DSNDING AT ABOUT 900 FPM, BUT AT 180 KTS, DECELERATION SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED END PARENS. I NOTED THE PROB TO THE FO AND WE ADDED 20 KTS TO THE APCH SPD AND WERE VIGILANT. ON THIS SUPPOSEDLY AND FORECAST CAVU NIGHT, WE LOST THOSE 20 KTS AT ABOUT 1000 FT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, BUT I WRITE ALL OF THIS BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE DID ONLY OKAY, NOT UP TO MY STANDARDS. BUT IT WAS ONLY XC30 BODY TIME FOR ME AND I WONDERED HOW THE DFW CREWS, HAVING BEEN UP ALL NIGHT AND AT THE WORST TIME FOR THEM, COPED.....ALL NIGHT FLTS SCHEDULING NEEDS A CLOSE LOOK.

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.