Narrative:

I was the PF on this night arrival into bur. On arrival socal approach cleared us for a visual approach to runway 8; after we reported the air carrier Y; B737; that was going to the same runway; in sight. Socal did not assign any speed to maintain. They had previously slowed us to 170 IAS. I slowed the aircraft to 150 IAS; a speed that was assigned to air carrier Y; as he was following an air carrier Z aircraft that was assigned the same speed. I maneuvered the aircraft to maintain 5 mi in trail. After established on final; socal turned us over to tower with instruction to maintain 3000 ft till abeam van nuys airport. On initial contact with tower; they advised us to slow to final speed and told us to continue. They wanted to get an aircraft waiting on runway 15 airborne. I slowed the aircraft as I was already near the final speed. Tower then advised us to do an s-turn to the north; which I complied with. We were fully configured with the final descent checklist completed. I completed the s-turn and was lining up for final when the first officer made the 1000 ft callout. I verbalized; 'not cleared to land; continue.' just then tower canceled our clearance and gave us clearance to circle and land runway 15. When the initial clearance for runway 8 was canceled; I had asked the first officer to bring up the gear and flaps to 3 degrees. I told him to tell tower that we were unable to circle and land runway 15. This was my first time flying into bur. It was at night. It is near mountainous terrain. And at low altitude; no way can I get stabilized for a visual approach; an approach and procedure that was not previously briefed. Tower canceled takeoff clearance for the aircraft on runway 15 and cleared us to land on runway 8. We already had the gear up and flaps at 3 degrees. I told the first officer to advise tower that we were going missed approach. Tower did not give us any instructions so we flew the published missed approach. Tower then turned us over to socal. Socal approach then set us up for a visual to runway 8 again. On initial contact; tower told us to reduce to final speed or we would have to circle to land runway 15. We reduced to final speed and made an uneventful landing. If tower needs to get an aircraft out ahead of a landing aircraft; they should coordinate with the approach facility. And no way should they threaten an aircraft with a procedure that is not common to a large commercial aircraft. In mountainous terrain; they should also try to minimize the procedure as much as practical. They must coordinate better with the approach controller to get an aircraft airborne before a landing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ON VISUAL APPROACH TO RWY 8 AT BUR IS TOLD TO S TURN THEN TOLD TO CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 15 FROM LESS THAN 3 NM AND BELOW 1000 FEET. AS THE FLT CREW IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH BUR AND IT IS NIGHT; THEY ELECT TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ON THIS NIGHT ARR INTO BUR. ON ARR SOCAL APCH CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8; AFTER WE RPTED THE ACR Y; B737; THAT WAS GOING TO THE SAME RWY; IN SIGHT. SOCAL DID NOT ASSIGN ANY SPD TO MAINTAIN. THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY SLOWED US TO 170 IAS. I SLOWED THE ACFT TO 150 IAS; A SPD THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO ACR Y; AS HE WAS FOLLOWING AN ACR Z ACFT THAT WAS ASSIGNED THE SAME SPD. I MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO MAINTAIN 5 MI IN TRAIL. AFTER ESTABLISHED ON FINAL; SOCAL TURNED US OVER TO TWR WITH INSTRUCTION TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT TILL ABEAM VAN NUYS ARPT. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TWR; THEY ADVISED US TO SLOW TO FINAL SPD AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE. THEY WANTED TO GET AN ACFT WAITING ON RWY 15 AIRBORNE. I SLOWED THE ACFT AS I WAS ALREADY NEAR THE FINAL SPD. TWR THEN ADVISED US TO DO AN S-TURN TO THE N; WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED WITH THE FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST COMPLETED. I COMPLETED THE S-TURN AND WAS LINING UP FOR FINAL WHEN THE FO MADE THE 1000 FT CALLOUT. I VERBALIZED; 'NOT CLRED TO LAND; CONTINUE.' JUST THEN TWR CANCELED OUR CLRNC AND GAVE US CLRNC TO CIRCLE AND LAND RWY 15. WHEN THE INITIAL CLRNC FOR RWY 8 WAS CANCELED; I HAD ASKED THE FO TO BRING UP THE GEAR AND FLAPS TO 3 DEGS. I TOLD HIM TO TELL TWR THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO CIRCLE AND LAND RWY 15. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME FLYING INTO BUR. IT WAS AT NIGHT. IT IS NEAR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AND AT LOW ALT; NO WAY CAN I GET STABILIZED FOR A VISUAL APCH; AN APCH AND PROC THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED. TWR CANCELED TKOF CLRNC FOR THE ACFT ON RWY 15 AND CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 8. WE ALREADY HAD THE GEAR UP AND FLAPS AT 3 DEGS. I TOLD THE FO TO ADVISE TWR THAT WE WERE GOING MISSED APCH. TWR DID NOT GIVE US ANY INSTRUCTIONS SO WE FLEW THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH. TWR THEN TURNED US OVER TO SOCAL. SOCAL APCH THEN SET US UP FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 8 AGAIN. ON INITIAL CONTACT; TWR TOLD US TO REDUCE TO FINAL SPD OR WE WOULD HAVE TO CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 15. WE REDUCED TO FINAL SPD AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IF TWR NEEDS TO GET AN ACFT OUT AHEAD OF A LNDG ACFT; THEY SHOULD COORDINATE WITH THE APCH FACILITY. AND NO WAY SHOULD THEY THREATEN AN ACFT WITH A PROC THAT IS NOT COMMON TO A LARGE COMMERCIAL ACFT. IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; THEY SHOULD ALSO TRY TO MINIMIZE THE PROC AS MUCH AS PRACTICAL. THEY MUST COORDINATE BETTER WITH THE APCH CTLR TO GET AN ACFT AIRBORNE BEFORE A LNDG ACFT.

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.