Narrative:

The WX was VMC with clear skies and calm winds. The first officer was flying and I was on the radio. We had the airport beacon in sight approaching the airport from the southeast and were cleared for the visual approach abeam the airport on the left downwind. We continued on downwind and turned base to intercept final at the ILS OM. The ILS frequency was tuned and idented. On base leg; we contacted tower on the visual and started turning final when the localizer came alive. I made the 1000 ft AGL callout and we noted that we did not have the runway in sight even though we saw the well lit terminal and beacon. At this time we decided on going around and ATC called us querying if we had the runway. We were then advised by ATC to go around and we were in the process of doing so. Thence we came back around in a r-hand traffic pattern and made a safe and uneventful landing. Being a clear night; we were so busy looking for the runway in the cluster of lights that both of us had missed the fact that we were off course and we had already started our descent. When we did realize the fact and started correcting; it was too late. The go around should have been initiated when the 1000 ft AGL callout was made and we were not lined up with the runway centerline. We were recently advised that by the time we went around we were about 400 ft away from an obstacle. We got behind the airplane and had to play catch up; which now in hindsight could have been totally avoided if we had just asked for vectors to the ILS as we already had the frequency tuned in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW LOSES POSITIONAL AWARENESS DURING VISUAL APCH TO LEX.

Narrative: THE WX WAS VMC WITH CLR SKIES AND CALM WINDS. THE FO WAS FLYING AND I WAS ON THE RADIO. WE HAD THE ARPT BEACON IN SIGHT APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE SE AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH ABEAM THE ARPT ON THE L DOWNWIND. WE CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND AND TURNED BASE TO INTERCEPT FINAL AT THE ILS OM. THE ILS FREQ WAS TUNED AND IDENTED. ON BASE LEG; WE CONTACTED TWR ON THE VISUAL AND STARTED TURNING FINAL WHEN THE LOC CAME ALIVE. I MADE THE 1000 FT AGL CALLOUT AND WE NOTED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT EVEN THOUGH WE SAW THE WELL LIT TERMINAL AND BEACON. AT THIS TIME WE DECIDED ON GOING AROUND AND ATC CALLED US QUERYING IF WE HAD THE RWY. WE WERE THEN ADVISED BY ATC TO GO AROUND AND WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SO. THENCE WE CAME BACK AROUND IN A R-HAND TFC PATTERN AND MADE A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG. BEING A CLR NIGHT; WE WERE SO BUSY LOOKING FOR THE RWY IN THE CLUSTER OF LIGHTS THAT BOTH OF US HAD MISSED THE FACT THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE AND WE HAD ALREADY STARTED OUR DSCNT. WHEN WE DID REALIZE THE FACT AND STARTED CORRECTING; IT WAS TOO LATE. THE GAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN INITIATED WHEN THE 1000 FT AGL CALLOUT WAS MADE AND WE WERE NOT LINED UP WITH THE RWY CTRLINE. WE WERE RECENTLY ADVISED THAT BY THE TIME WE WENT AROUND WE WERE ABOUT 400 FT AWAY FROM AN OBSTACLE. WE GOT BEHIND THE AIRPLANE AND HAD TO PLAY CATCH UP; WHICH NOW IN HINDSIGHT COULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY AVOIDED IF WE HAD JUST ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE ILS AS WE ALREADY HAD THE FREQ TUNED IN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.