Narrative:

After being vectored to a downwind north of tus by tus approach, we were handed off to tus final approach (118.5). On switchover, it was immediately obvious that the controller was very busy with many military jets (on UHF) in the pattern at tus. After turning us back in toward the airport, approach asked if we had the field and I responded that we did. He informed us of a cherokee traffic for runway 11R and I responded that it was not in sight. Frequency congestion and simultaneous xmissions then garbled the controller's next instruction and I had to ask for several repeats before we finally received a visual approach clearance for runway 11L. This was at about 4 mi. Approach then informed us of an F16 in front of us turning a 2 mi final for touch-and-go on runway 11L and instructed us to contact tower. After switching, I made several calls without response. Tower then started making calls to multiple aircraft in such a manner that indicated to me that his receiver had failed. We now had an F16 in front of us, a cherokee for runway 11R we couldn't find, and no communication with the tower. We sidestepped the aircraft to the left to give ourselves more room. This sidestep approximately lined us up with taxiway a. I then even tried to call tower on guard (121.5) for traffic and instructions. As it became increasingly obvious that the traffic and communications situation were incompatible with continued operational safety, I called for a go around and the captain executed a normal missed approach at approximately 150-200 ft AGL. The go around and subsequent landing were normal and safe in all respects. Causes: 1) incompatible traffic mix at tus, ie, air carrier, military, and GA all on short final at the same time. 2) radio failure in tus tower. 3) tus approach decision to put an F16 on final less than 2 mi ahead of us. Suggestions: 1) use davis-monthan AFB for military touch-and-goes. 2) get controllers some decent equipment that doesn't break down. This was the classic accident chain being forged link by link. Luckily we broke the sequence and got out before anything happened. In hindsight, as we saw the situation deteriorating, we should have missed earlier instead of trying to salvage an 'on time' arrival in that fiasco.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-500 MADE A GAR AFTER THE TFC THEY WERE FOLLOWING WAS NOT IN SIGHT AND THE TWR WAS EXPERIENCING TFC CONGESTION AND COM EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: AFTER BEING VECTORED TO A DOWNWIND N OF TUS BY TUS APCH, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO TUS FINAL APCH (118.5). ON SWITCHOVER, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THAT THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY WITH MANY MIL JETS (ON UHF) IN THE PATTERN AT TUS. AFTER TURNING US BACK IN TOWARD THE ARPT, APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD AND I RESPONDED THAT WE DID. HE INFORMED US OF A CHEROKEE TFC FOR RWY 11R AND I RESPONDED THAT IT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. FREQ CONGESTION AND SIMULTANEOUS XMISSIONS THEN GARBLED THE CTLR'S NEXT INSTRUCTION AND I HAD TO ASK FOR SEVERAL REPEATS BEFORE WE FINALLY RECEIVED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC FOR RWY 11L. THIS WAS AT ABOUT 4 MI. APCH THEN INFORMED US OF AN F16 IN FRONT OF US TURNING A 2 MI FINAL FOR TOUCH-AND-GO ON RWY 11L AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT TWR. AFTER SWITCHING, I MADE SEVERAL CALLS WITHOUT RESPONSE. TWR THEN STARTED MAKING CALLS TO MULTIPLE ACFT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT INDICATED TO ME THAT HIS RECEIVER HAD FAILED. WE NOW HAD AN F16 IN FRONT OF US, A CHEROKEE FOR RWY 11R WE COULDN'T FIND, AND NO COM WITH THE TWR. WE SIDESTEPPED THE ACFT TO THE L TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE ROOM. THIS SIDESTEP APPROX LINED US UP WITH TXWY A. I THEN EVEN TRIED TO CALL TWR ON GUARD (121.5) FOR TFC AND INSTRUCTIONS. AS IT BECAME INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS THAT THE TFC AND COMS SIT WERE INCOMPATIBLE WITH CONTINUED OPERATIONAL SAFETY, I CALLED FOR A GAR AND THE CAPT EXECUTED A NORMAL MISSED APCH AT APPROX 150-200 FT AGL. THE GAR AND SUBSEQUENT LNDG WERE NORMAL AND SAFE IN ALL RESPECTS. CAUSES: 1) INCOMPATIBLE TFC MIX AT TUS, IE, ACR, MIL, AND GA ALL ON SHORT FINAL AT THE SAME TIME. 2) RADIO FAILURE IN TUS TWR. 3) TUS APCH DECISION TO PUT AN F16 ON FINAL LESS THAN 2 MI AHEAD OF US. SUGGESTIONS: 1) USE DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB FOR MIL TOUCH-AND-GOES. 2) GET CTLRS SOME DECENT EQUIP THAT DOESN'T BREAK DOWN. THIS WAS THE CLASSIC ACCIDENT CHAIN BEING FORGED LINK BY LINK. LUCKILY WE BROKE THE SEQUENCE AND GOT OUT BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED. IN HINDSIGHT, AS WE SAW THE SIT DETERIORATING, WE SHOULD HAVE MISSED EARLIER INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SALVAGE AN 'ON TIME' ARR IN THAT FIASCO.

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.