Narrative:

On our approach to dtw the captain was hand flying the airplane. We had been advised by approach control to expect runway 21R and this was what we briefed. We were on a heading of 280 degrees descending to 4000 ft. Approach pointed out DC8 traffic 3 O'clock and 2 mi descending to 3000 ft. At that point the DC8 was below us and slightly behind. We guessed that it was probably going to willow run airport. We were given new headings of 250 degrees and then 230 degrees. Approach pointed out A320 traffic ahead of us on a left base. When we said we had the traffic in sight they said that we were cleared for the visual approach and follow the A320 to the airport. No mention was made of a different runway. The A320 overshot both runway 21L and runway 21C and appeared to be headed to runway 21R then he continued a left turn to go back to runway 21L. At about this time we got the TCASII climb advisory and the captain started an immediate climb. Approach control then gave us an immediate left turn to heading 180 degrees. At that point the DC8 was 500 ft below us and approximately 1/4 mi to our right. After making a left turn and getting back over to runway 21L the controller said we were 3 1/2 mi in trail of the A320 and 30 KTS faster. We slowed to our final approach speed and eventually made a go around because the A320 did not clear the runway. The first time we had heard runway 21L was after the controller gave us the immediate left turn to 180 degrees and then said to follow the A320 to runway 21L. Detroit normally handles much more traffic and the light traffic at the time of our arrival may have caused the controller to relax and not specify the runway he expected us to use when he said 'follow the A320 to the airport.' supplemental information from acn 324268: when approaching airport 10 mi out we were asked to follow A320 visually (no runway mentioned). We were also informed of a DC8 by approach control. The DC8 appeared to be close to our aircraft so I asked captain and first officer to confirm our landing runway. We then received a TCASII RA to climb and we did. DC8 went beneath us. Then approach control told us turn left and then cleared us for runway 21L approach. (Runway 21R approach frequencys and courses were already set and we subsequently changed them to runway 21L approach frequencys and courses.) supplemental information from acn 323766: when approaching the airport about 10 mi out, we were asked to follow an A320, which was inside us on a left base, visually (no runway was mentioned). The A320 overshot runway 21L and runway 21C and appeared to be heading to runway 21R also. We were also informed by approach of a DC8 that was 2 mi away. I (captain) did not see the DC8 and was concentrating on keeping spacing on the A320, but the DC8 was seen by both the first officer and so. About 3000-4000 ft we received a climb TCASII RA, which I followed. We contacted dtw tower, slowed to approach speed as we were still close to the A320. Ultimately we had to make a go around because the A320 did not clear runway 21L in time. After the go around we made an uneventful landing on runway 21L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB BEING VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH TO DTW THOUGHT THEY WERE CLRED FOR RWY 21R. ATC GAVE TFC INFO ON A DC8 FOR RWY 21R AND TOLD THE WDB TO FOLLOW AN A320 FOR RWY 21L. DUE TO CONFUSION ON WHICH RWY THE WDB WAS CLRED TO THEY OVERSHOT RWY 21L FINAL AND GOT IN CLOSE PROX TO THE DC8. WHEN THE TWR CTLR CLRED THEM TO LAND RWY 21L AND THEY GOT LINED UP THEY HAD TO MAKE A GAR AS THE A320 WAS STILL IN THE RWY.

Narrative: ON OUR APCH TO DTW THE CAPT WAS HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE. WE HAD BEEN ADVISED BY APCH CTL TO EXPECT RWY 21R AND THIS WAS WHAT WE BRIEFED. WE WERE ON A HDG OF 280 DEGS DSNDING TO 4000 FT. APCH POINTED OUT DC8 TFC 3 O'CLOCK AND 2 MI DSNDING TO 3000 FT. AT THAT POINT THE DC8 WAS BELOW US AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND. WE GUESSED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY GOING TO WILLOW RUN ARPT. WE WERE GIVEN NEW HDGS OF 250 DEGS AND THEN 230 DEGS. APCH POINTED OUT A320 TFC AHEAD OF US ON A L BASE. WHEN WE SAID WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT THEY SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND FOLLOW THE A320 TO THE ARPT. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF A DIFFERENT RWY. THE A320 OVERSHOT BOTH RWY 21L AND RWY 21C AND APPEARED TO BE HEADED TO RWY 21R THEN HE CONTINUED A L TURN TO GO BACK TO RWY 21L. AT ABOUT THIS TIME WE GOT THE TCASII CLB ADVISORY AND THE CAPT STARTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB. APCH CTL THEN GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO HDG 180 DEGS. AT THAT POINT THE DC8 WAS 500 FT BELOW US AND APPROX 1/4 MI TO OUR R. AFTER MAKING A L TURN AND GETTING BACK OVER TO RWY 21L THE CTLR SAID WE WERE 3 1/2 MI IN TRAIL OF THE A320 AND 30 KTS FASTER. WE SLOWED TO OUR FINAL APCH SPD AND EVENTUALLY MADE A GAR BECAUSE THE A320 DID NOT CLR THE RWY. THE FIRST TIME WE HAD HEARD RWY 21L WAS AFTER THE CTLR GAVE US THE IMMEDIATE L TURN TO 180 DEGS AND THEN SAID TO FOLLOW THE A320 TO RWY 21L. DETROIT NORMALLY HANDLES MUCH MORE TFC AND THE LIGHT TFC AT THE TIME OF OUR ARR MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CTLR TO RELAX AND NOT SPECIFY THE RWY HE EXPECTED US TO USE WHEN HE SAID 'FOLLOW THE A320 TO THE ARPT.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 324268: WHEN APCHING ARPT 10 MI OUT WE WERE ASKED TO FOLLOW A320 VISUALLY (NO RWY MENTIONED). WE WERE ALSO INFORMED OF A DC8 BY APCH CTL. THE DC8 APPEARED TO BE CLOSE TO OUR ACFT SO I ASKED CAPT AND FO TO CONFIRM OUR LNDG RWY. WE THEN RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO CLB AND WE DID. DC8 WENT BENEATH US. THEN APCH CTL TOLD US TURN L AND THEN CLRED US FOR RWY 21L APCH. (RWY 21R APCH FREQS AND COURSES WERE ALREADY SET AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED THEM TO RWY 21L APCH FREQS AND COURSES.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 323766: WHEN APCHING THE ARPT ABOUT 10 MI OUT, WE WERE ASKED TO FOLLOW AN A320, WHICH WAS INSIDE US ON A L BASE, VISUALLY (NO RWY WAS MENTIONED). THE A320 OVERSHOT RWY 21L AND RWY 21C AND APPEARED TO BE HDG TO RWY 21R ALSO. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED BY APCH OF A DC8 THAT WAS 2 MI AWAY. I (CAPT) DID NOT SEE THE DC8 AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING SPACING ON THE A320, BUT THE DC8 WAS SEEN BY BOTH THE FO AND SO. ABOUT 3000-4000 FT WE RECEIVED A CLB TCASII RA, WHICH I FOLLOWED. WE CONTACTED DTW TWR, SLOWED TO APCH SPD AS WE WERE STILL CLOSE TO THE A320. ULTIMATELY WE HAD TO MAKE A GAR BECAUSE THE A320 DID NOT CLR RWY 21L IN TIME. AFTER THE GAR WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 21L.

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.