MD80S aircraft on approach was overweight for landing, but flight crew thought the fuel would burn down enough to be within weight limit. On short final they realized it was still overweight so did a go around. Tower local controller was unhappy because an aircraft was departing on another runway.

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Attributes
ACN	370210
Time
Date	199705
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mco tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	370210
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Due to direct routing and stronger than forecast tailwinds, we arrived in the mco area weighing 130900 pounds. We configured early and arrived downwind at 130200 pounds. On short final the totalizer showed 130400 pounds. We executed a go around. After landing, approach control expressed a concern that we did not decide earlier to make the go around. We believed we would be light enough to land until at 500 ft AGL, runway 18L, the totalizer showed 130400 pounds. Apparently they had cleared someone to take off from runway 17 and were not prepared for an aircraft making a go around on short final. The only thing we could have done differently is to have advised tower that we might have to go around. We took it as close as we could in an attempt to avoid the go around if at all possible. Based on the totalizer reading on downwind, we thought we were going to be ok.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80S ACFT ON APCH WAS OVERWT FOR LNDG, BUT FLC THOUGHT THE FUEL WOULD BURN DOWN ENOUGH TO BE WITHIN WT LIMIT. ON SHORT FINAL THEY REALIZED IT WAS STILL OVERWT SO DID A GAR. TWR LCL CTLR WAS UNHAPPY BECAUSE AN ACFT WAS DEPARTING ON ANOTHER RWY.

Narrative: DUE TO DIRECT ROUTING AND STRONGER THAN FORECAST TAILWINDS, WE ARRIVED IN THE MCO AREA WEIGHING 130900 LBS. WE CONFIGURED EARLY AND ARRIVED DOWNWIND AT 130200 LBS. ON SHORT FINAL THE TOTALIZER SHOWED 130400 LBS. WE EXECUTED A GAR. AFTER LNDG, APCH CTL EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT WE DID NOT DECIDE EARLIER TO MAKE THE GAR. WE BELIEVED WE WOULD BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO LAND UNTIL AT 500 FT AGL, RWY 18L, THE TOTALIZER SHOWED 130400 LBS. APPARENTLY THEY HAD CLRED SOMEONE TO TAKE OFF FROM RWY 17 AND WERE NOT PREPARED FOR AN ACFT MAKING A GAR ON SHORT FINAL. THE ONLY THING WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS TO HAVE ADVISED TWR THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO GAR. WE TOOK IT AS CLOSE AS WE COULD IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE GAR IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. BASED ON THE TOTALIZER READING ON DOWNWIND, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE OK.

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.