Narrative:

While on crosswind vector to lda runway 22 at lga, captain, acting as PNF, requested from approach control the type of aircraft that we were following. Interval was closing on TCASII. Approach did not respond immediately but did tell the aircraft ahead of us what his interval was. As second request yielded that we were following a B737 and that we were to slow to 170 KTS, descend to 2000 ft and turn to 150 degrees to intercept the lda. This caused us to close the aircraft ahead to an even closer interval as that plane was already slowing to final approach speed. We flew through the lda to the east to try to open the spacing to more than 2 mi when cleared for the approach. The controller gave us a heading of 270 degrees to return to the lda. I requested to hold that heading to intercept the localizer for runway 22 for spacing but the controller wanted us to turn left to the lda. I said we were unable due to spacing. The controller was unsure of my intent to intercept the ILS runway 22 localizer and gave us a continue on heading 270 degrees, maintain 2000 ft for vectors around for another approach. Talking to another pilot in operations after landing revealed that our course of action was the safest in that the aircraft, prior to our interval, exited the runway late and induced the B737 ahead of us to slow even further on final which would have shortened our overtake interval even further.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC WAS TAKEN OFF THE APCH AFTER LOSING SEPARATION WITH THE PRECEDING ACFT AT LGA.

Narrative: WHILE ON XWIND VECTOR TO LDA RWY 22 AT LGA, CAPT, ACTING AS PNF, REQUESTED FROM APCH CTL THE TYPE OF ACFT THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING. INTERVAL WAS CLOSING ON TCASII. APCH DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY BUT DID TELL THE ACFT AHEAD OF US WHAT HIS INTERVAL WAS. AS SECOND REQUEST YIELDED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING A B737 AND THAT WE WERE TO SLOW TO 170 KTS, DSND TO 2000 FT AND TURN TO 150 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LDA. THIS CAUSED US TO CLOSE THE ACFT AHEAD TO AN EVEN CLOSER INTERVAL AS THAT PLANE WAS ALREADY SLOWING TO FINAL APCH SPD. WE FLEW THROUGH THE LDA TO THE E TO TRY TO OPEN THE SPACING TO MORE THAN 2 MI WHEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 270 DEGS TO RETURN TO THE LDA. I REQUESTED TO HOLD THAT HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 22 FOR SPACING BUT THE CTLR WANTED US TO TURN L TO THE LDA. I SAID WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO SPACING. THE CTLR WAS UNSURE OF MY INTENT TO INTERCEPT THE ILS RWY 22 LOC AND GAVE US A CONTINUE ON HDG 270 DEGS, MAINTAIN 2000 FT FOR VECTORS AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH. TALKING TO ANOTHER PLT IN OPS AFTER LNDG REVEALED THAT OUR COURSE OF ACTION WAS THE SAFEST IN THAT THE ACFT, PRIOR TO OUR INTERVAL, EXITED THE RWY LATE AND INDUCED THE B737 AHEAD OF US TO SLOW EVEN FURTHER ON FINAL WHICH WOULD HAVE SHORTENED OUR OVERTAKE INTERVAL EVEN FURTHER.

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.