Narrative:

Approximately 10 NM ssw phl airport, WX reported 6 NM visibility (as I recall) and expecting ILS runway 27R as approach controller had told us that we were on vectors for that. Turned over to final controller who told now to expect visual to runway 35, a much shorter (5450 ft) runway with no ILS. Directed by approach control to maintain 2000 ft/190 KTS and to proceed direct to the runway. The airport was still not in sight, nor had I called it so. Approach control directed to 'keep the speed up' as he was working me into the crossing runway to runway 27R with traffic on final. I quickly programmed the FMS for GPS runway 35 as an awareness backup. As I approached 6 NM from the airport, at 2000 ft, I still could not see the runway in the haze. As I configured for landing and began slowing to 165 KTS the controller again admonished to keep the speed up and call runway in sight. I kept the speed at 160 KTS and configured for landing with final flaps. When just abeam the FAF I was able to begin to resolve the runway in the haze at 6 NM and called it. Controller said to 'keep the speed up as much as possible, cleared for visual approach.' I disconnected the autoplt, descended and tended to keep the speed higher than normal for a short time while not clarifying a missed approach coordination. We were xferred to tower control. As I resolved the runway better and slowed the aircraft for final approach, it became apparent that I would be somewhat high, the first officer stated that we looked high for the approach. I increased the descent rate and announced that I was increasing descent temporarily. As I passed 1000 ft AGL I announced 'correcting' back to normal descent rate. It was apparent that I was still somewhat above the desirable glide path and also had not decreased to prescribed approach speed. I called out and executed a 'go around.' first officer called it on the tower frequency. There are many steps in the full flap go around and while doing this the tower did not respond to the go around call. I directed first officer to get a heading and altitude direction from tower for the go, but the tower controller responded with something like, 'who is calling for go around?' (I cannot remember the exact response, but we were not getting instructions in the response.) as the first officer was concentrating on trying to respond to my go around confign callouts while concurrently attempting to get tower direction, I was attempting to accomplish the go around within parameters and at the same time monitor the first officer/tower communication for a clearance to follow. This division of attention caused me to come close to flap limiting speeds and slowed the accomplishment of procedure steps in a timely manner. A different controller's voice came on and directed to maintain 2000 ft and turn right to 085 degrees. I was still working through the steps of flap retraction as we were leveling and turning. From now on, although in simulator training I had been flying go around's manually through initial leveloff for clean-up, use of the autoplt is an available option which I will take advantage of at a much lower altitude. I will now integrate an early autoplt engagement into my go around plan to gain the additional resource during a fast-paced situation (training is typically done at higher gross weights which has the effect of slowing the whole process down). Now when issued a late clearance for a visual approach and I cannot see the airport, I will not accept.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E110 FLT CREW VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH AT PHL EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ATC HANDLING.

Narrative: APPROX 10 NM SSW PHL ARPT, WX RPTED 6 NM VISIBILITY (AS I RECALL) AND EXPECTING ILS RWY 27R AS APCH CTLR HAD TOLD US THAT WE WERE ON VECTORS FOR THAT. TURNED OVER TO FINAL CTLR WHO TOLD NOW TO EXPECT VISUAL TO RWY 35, A MUCH SHORTER (5450 FT) RWY WITH NO ILS. DIRECTED BY APCH CTL TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT/190 KTS AND TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE RWY. THE ARPT WAS STILL NOT IN SIGHT, NOR HAD I CALLED IT SO. APCH CTL DIRECTED TO 'KEEP THE SPD UP' AS HE WAS WORKING ME INTO THE XING RWY TO RWY 27R WITH TFC ON FINAL. I QUICKLY PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR GPS RWY 35 AS AN AWARENESS BACKUP. AS I APCHED 6 NM FROM THE ARPT, AT 2000 FT, I STILL COULD NOT SEE THE RWY IN THE HAZE. AS I CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND BEGAN SLOWING TO 165 KTS THE CTLR AGAIN ADMONISHED TO KEEP THE SPD UP AND CALL RWY IN SIGHT. I KEPT THE SPD AT 160 KTS AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG WITH FINAL FLAPS. WHEN JUST ABEAM THE FAF I WAS ABLE TO BEGIN TO RESOLVE THE RWY IN THE HAZE AT 6 NM AND CALLED IT. CTLR SAID TO 'KEEP THE SPD UP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH.' I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, DSNDED AND TENDED TO KEEP THE SPD HIGHER THAN NORMAL FOR A SHORT TIME WHILE NOT CLARIFYING A MISSED APCH COORD. WE WERE XFERRED TO TWR CTL. AS I RESOLVED THE RWY BETTER AND SLOWED THE ACFT FOR FINAL APCH, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD BE SOMEWHAT HIGH, THE FO STATED THAT WE LOOKED HIGH FOR THE APCH. I INCREASED THE DSCNT RATE AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS INCREASING DSCNT TEMPORARILY. AS I PASSED 1000 FT AGL I ANNOUNCED 'CORRECTING' BACK TO NORMAL DSCNT RATE. IT WAS APPARENT THAT I WAS STILL SOMEWHAT ABOVE THE DESIRABLE GLIDE PATH AND ALSO HAD NOT DECREASED TO PRESCRIBED APCH SPD. I CALLED OUT AND EXECUTED A 'GAR.' FO CALLED IT ON THE TWR FREQ. THERE ARE MANY STEPS IN THE FULL FLAP GAR AND WHILE DOING THIS THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE GAR CALL. I DIRECTED FO TO GET A HDG AND ALT DIRECTION FROM TWR FOR THE GO, BUT THE TWR CTLR RESPONDED WITH SOMETHING LIKE, 'WHO IS CALLING FOR GAR?' (I CANNOT REMEMBER THE EXACT RESPONSE, BUT WE WERE NOT GETTING INSTRUCTIONS IN THE RESPONSE.) AS THE FO WAS CONCENTRATING ON TRYING TO RESPOND TO MY GAR CONFIGN CALLOUTS WHILE CONCURRENTLY ATTEMPTING TO GET TWR DIRECTION, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMPLISH THE GAR WITHIN PARAMETERS AND AT THE SAME TIME MONITOR THE FO/TWR COM FOR A CLRNC TO FOLLOW. THIS DIVISION OF ATTN CAUSED ME TO COME CLOSE TO FLAP LIMITING SPDS AND SLOWED THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF PROC STEPS IN A TIMELY MANNER. A DIFFERENT CTLR'S VOICE CAME ON AND DIRECTED TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT AND TURN R TO 085 DEGS. I WAS STILL WORKING THROUGH THE STEPS OF FLAP RETRACTION AS WE WERE LEVELING AND TURNING. FROM NOW ON, ALTHOUGH IN SIMULATOR TRAINING I HAD BEEN FLYING GAR'S MANUALLY THROUGH INITIAL LEVELOFF FOR CLEAN-UP, USE OF THE AUTOPLT IS AN AVAILABLE OPTION WHICH I WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AT A MUCH LOWER ALT. I WILL NOW INTEGRATE AN EARLY AUTOPLT ENGAGEMENT INTO MY GAR PLAN TO GAIN THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCE DURING A FAST-PACED SIT (TRAINING IS TYPICALLY DONE AT HIGHER GROSS WTS WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF SLOWING THE WHOLE PROCESS DOWN). NOW WHEN ISSUED A LATE CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH AND I CANNOT SEE THE ARPT, I WILL NOT ACCEPT.

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.