Narrative:

I was the captain and PNF on air carrier X, flight to jfk. We were cleared for the VOR runway 13L at jfk. Sometime around passing the FAF cri, the tower cleared us to change to runway 13R and cleared us to land on runway 13R. A cloud bank had developed and began to obscure the lead-in lights and the threshold of runway 13R. Tower reported a low altitude warning. We executed a missed approach. We were vectored around for an ILS approach to runway 22L. An uneventful landing was made on runway 22L. There were several contributing factors to this incident. The first officer flying the aircraft got behind in slowing the aircraft for landing confign. I became distracted in assisting the confign and could not be 'outside' the aircraft enough. The approach is angling with a right turn to the runway. It is difficult to see the runways (particularly runway 13R) from the left seat. Although runway 13L remained clearly visible, the developing cloud deck began to obscure runway 13R and necessitated a missed approach. Supplemental information from acn 580529: I was distracted just as I was going to configure. Subsequently we were slowing and configuring while looking for the lead-in lights. Some clouds had moved in and hid the approach end of runway 13R. We could see runway 13L fine. About the time I decided to go around, the tower issued a low altitude warning. We came back around with vectors and landed ILS runway 22L uneventfully. The ATIS was updated immediately following our approach. The combination of clouds over runway 13R, being 20 KTS fast, and the change from runway 13L to runway 13R which decreased our time and distance to landing was too much to overcome and resulted in a missed approach. We had runway 13L in sight and seemed to be at a good altitude, on visual GS, for runway 13L when we got the warning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISSED APCH PROC PERFORMED BY A B757-200 FLTCREW ON A VOR APCH FOR RWYS 13L AND 13R WHEN RWY LEAD IN LIGHTS FOR RWY 13R OBSCURED BY A MOVING CLOUD BANK S OF JFK, NY.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT AND PNF ON ACR X, FLT TO JFK. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VOR RWY 13L AT JFK. SOMETIME AROUND PASSING THE FAF CRI, THE TWR CLRED US TO CHANGE TO RWY 13R AND CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 13R. A CLOUD BANK HAD DEVELOPED AND BEGAN TO OBSCURE THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS AND THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 13R. TWR RPTED A LOW ALT WARNING. WE EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 22L. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 22L. THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT. THE FO FLYING THE ACFT GOT BEHIND IN SLOWING THE ACFT FOR LNDG CONFIGN. I BECAME DISTRACTED IN ASSISTING THE CONFIGN AND COULD NOT BE 'OUTSIDE' THE ACFT ENOUGH. THE APCH IS ANGLING WITH A R TURN TO THE RWY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE RWYS (PARTICULARLY RWY 13R) FROM THE L SEAT. ALTHOUGH RWY 13L REMAINED CLRLY VISIBLE, THE DEVELOPING CLOUD DECK BEGAN TO OBSCURE RWY 13R AND NECESSITATED A MISSED APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 580529: I WAS DISTRACTED JUST AS I WAS GOING TO CONFIGURE. SUBSEQUENTLY WE WERE SLOWING AND CONFIGURING WHILE LOOKING FOR THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS. SOME CLOUDS HAD MOVED IN AND HID THE APCH END OF RWY 13R. WE COULD SEE RWY 13L FINE. ABOUT THE TIME I DECIDED TO GO AROUND, THE TWR ISSUED A LOW ALT WARNING. WE CAME BACK AROUND WITH VECTORS AND LANDED ILS RWY 22L UNEVENTFULLY. THE ATIS WAS UPDATED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING OUR APCH. THE COMBINATION OF CLOUDS OVER RWY 13R, BEING 20 KTS FAST, AND THE CHANGE FROM RWY 13L TO RWY 13R WHICH DECREASED OUR TIME AND DISTANCE TO LNDG WAS TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME AND RESULTED IN A MISSED APCH. WE HAD RWY 13L IN SIGHT AND SEEMED TO BE AT A GOOD ALT, ON VISUAL GS, FOR RWY 13L WHEN WE GOT THE WARNING.

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.