Narrative:

Las landing runway 1L/right. Surface winds were called runway 070/10. New first officer making landing. I talked to him about tailwind conditions and techniques to get down in time. Strong tailwinds down to short final; where it was still 15 knots. I prompted him to slow and configure. He did not make it down in time for stabilized approach and we went around. Approach vectored us back on a downwind but directed a short base turn at 7000 ft. Putting us in a position from which we could not land; even though fully slowed and configured starting turn. I flew approach and go around. Third base turn slightly better; enough for me to get down in a stabilized position to land. I called min fuel on last downwind and asked approach for sequence. They said it was up to tower. Las approach sometimes turns aircraft on base way too close to the landing runway at high altitudes. They will turn aircraft on base; leave them at a high altitude and delay their descent from an assigned altitude until it can become difficult to get down regardless of how slow and configured the aircraft is. They are reluctant to change runways when it is clearly called for and will not adjust their assigned tight turns even when faced with multiple go arounds. These practices should stop at las. No other field operates this way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT DESCRIBED MULTIPLE GAR EVENTS RESULTING FROM ALLEGED ATC RELUCTANCE TO CHANGE RWYS AND IN CLOSE TURNS TO FINAL.

Narrative: LAS LANDING RWY 1L/R. SURFACE WINDS WERE CALLED RWY 070/10. NEW FO MAKING LANDING. I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT TAILWIND CONDITIONS AND TECHNIQUES TO GET DOWN IN TIME. STRONG TAILWINDS DOWN TO SHORT FINAL; WHERE IT WAS STILL 15 KNOTS. I PROMPTED HIM TO SLOW AND CONFIGURE. HE DID NOT MAKE IT DOWN IN TIME FOR STABILIZED APPROACH AND WE WENT AROUND. APPROACH VECTORED US BACK ON A DOWNWIND BUT DIRECTED A SHORT BASE TURN AT 7000 FT. PUTTING US IN A POSITION FROM WHICH WE COULD NOT LAND; EVEN THOUGH FULLY SLOWED AND CONFIGURED STARTING TURN. I FLEW APPROACH AND GO AROUND. THIRD BASE TURN SLIGHTLY BETTER; ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET DOWN IN A STABILIZED POSITION TO LAND. I CALLED MIN FUEL ON LAST DOWNWIND AND ASKED APPROACH FOR SEQUENCE. THEY SAID IT WAS UP TO TOWER. LAS APPROACH SOMETIMES TURNS AIRCRAFT ON BASE WAY TOO CLOSE TO THE LANDING RWY AT HIGH ALTITUDES. THEY WILL TURN AIRCRAFT ON BASE; LEAVE THEM AT A HIGH ALTITUDE AND DELAY THEIR DESCENT FROM AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE UNTIL IT CAN BECOME DIFFICULT TO GET DOWN REGARDLESS OF HOW SLOW AND CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT IS. THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO CHANGE RWYS WHEN IT IS CLEARLY CALLED FOR AND WILL NOT ADJUST THEIR ASSIGNED TIGHT TURNS EVEN WHEN FACED WITH MULTIPLE GO AROUNDS. THESE PRACTICES SHOULD STOP AT LAS. NO OTHER FIELD OPERATES THIS WAY.

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.