Narrative:

Flying into NAS west, the WX was reported as 800 ft broken with rain and winds out of the south at 15 KTS gusting to 25 KTS. We were given a parallel approach for runway 29. With the winds and water reported on the runway, the captain (PNF) wanted to circle to land on runway 18. The captain advised the gca controller of our request, but he would not respond to it. Approximately 3 mi final (with the airport in sight) to runway 29, the gca controller switched us to tower frequency. The captain called tower twice with no response. By this time, we were half mi final to runway 29 with no clearance to land. I executed a missed approach and climbed out straight ahead. At this point, tower called and gave us instructions to turn south and climb to 2000 ft MSL. I was so busy executing the missed, at night, in and out of clouds, and trying to communicate with the other pilot, I elected to climb straight ahead instead of making a possibly disorienting turnout over the ocean. There were obstacles in front of us (hills and tower to 600 ft), but I was uncertain of their ht, so I elected to climb to 2500 ft MSL as an additional safety margin. I am unaware of any traffic conflicts, nor were we advised of any. We were now IMC and tower attempted to give us vectors for a visual approach (he was aware we were IMC). However, he was unable to vector us below the clouds so I executed a second missed approach. This time we contacted san diego approach and executed a localizer to an uneventful landing on runway 18. Both the captain and I knew the localizer would have been an easier approach for landing on runway 18, but we failed to communicate or discuss this prior to shooting our first approach. Additionally, the gca controller and tower controller not responding to our request made a difficult situation impossible. Next time I will be more aggressive in determining which approach to use and making my interest known earlier.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 MIL ACFT ON GCA APCH TO MIL ARPT. FLC WANTED A CIRCLING APCH DUE TO WINDS, BUT UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR UNTIL TOO CLOSE SO A GAR WAS EXECUTED. TWR ISSUED A HDG VECTOR AND ALT ASSIGNMENT, BUT FLC IGNORED BOTH. TWR THEN ATTEMPTED A VECTOR TO VFR APCH BUT UNABLE. FLC ASSIGNED AND COMPLETED A LOC APCH TO THEIR DESIRED RWY.

Narrative: FLYING INTO NAS WEST, THE WX WAS RPTED AS 800 FT BROKEN WITH RAIN AND WINDS OUT OF THE S AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 25 KTS. WE WERE GIVEN A PARALLEL APCH FOR RWY 29. WITH THE WINDS AND WATER RPTED ON THE RWY, THE CAPT (PNF) WANTED TO CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 18. THE CAPT ADVISED THE GCA CTLR OF OUR REQUEST, BUT HE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO IT. APPROX 3 MI FINAL (WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT) TO RWY 29, THE GCA CTLR SWITCHED US TO TWR FREQ. THE CAPT CALLED TWR TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE. BY THIS TIME, WE WERE HALF MI FINAL TO RWY 29 WITH NO CLRNC TO LAND. I EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AND CLBED OUT STRAIGHT AHEAD. AT THIS POINT, TWR CALLED AND GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN S AND CLB TO 2000 FT MSL. I WAS SO BUSY EXECUTING THE MISSED, AT NIGHT, IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, AND TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OTHER PLT, I ELECTED TO CLB STRAIGHT AHEAD INSTEAD OF MAKING A POSSIBLY DISORIENTING TURNOUT OVER THE OCEAN. THERE WERE OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF US (HILLS AND TWR TO 600 FT), BUT I WAS UNCERTAIN OF THEIR HT, SO I ELECTED TO CLB TO 2500 FT MSL AS AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY MARGIN. I AM UNAWARE OF ANY TFC CONFLICTS, NOR WERE WE ADVISED OF ANY. WE WERE NOW IMC AND TWR ATTEMPTED TO GIVE US VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH (HE WAS AWARE WE WERE IMC). HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO VECTOR US BELOW THE CLOUDS SO I EXECUTED A SECOND MISSED APCH. THIS TIME WE CONTACTED SAN DIEGO APCH AND EXECUTED A LOC TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 18. BOTH THE CAPT AND I KNEW THE LOC WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASIER APCH FOR LNDG ON RWY 18, BUT WE FAILED TO COMMUNICATE OR DISCUSS THIS PRIOR TO SHOOTING OUR FIRST APCH. ADDITIONALLY, THE GCA CTLR AND TWR CTLR NOT RESPONDING TO OUR REQUEST MADE A DIFFICULT SIT IMPOSSIBLE. NEXT TIME I WILL BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN DETERMINING WHICH APCH TO USE AND MAKING MY INTEREST KNOWN EARLIER.

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.