Attempting to expedite their arrival; flight crew of B737-300 calls runway in sight for visual appro...

Attributes
ACN	784865
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 216 flight time type : 8800
ASRS Report	784865
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 257 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	784860
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : company policies other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : executed go around
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Weather Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Made decision to land on runway 4L in ZZZ; opposite direction to expedite arrival to airport. Winds were within limits at touchdown; but 230 degrees at 45 KTS at 2000 ft AGL. Approximately 20 NM from the field; I thought I had the runway in sight; but planned to verify with a combination of LNAV and the localizer. At approximately 10 NM from runway 4L I started to configure the aircraft at 2000 ft. The aircraft started a left turn in LNAV before I expected it to and the FMC then displayed unable rnp (I believe this was due to the strong winds). I then went to VOR/localizer expecting to get the localizer; but tower had not turned the localizer around as the active runway was runway 22R. Tower then asked if we had the runway in sight. When we didn't respond; he directed that we climb to 2000 ft and fly heading 040 degrees. Tower then pointed out the runway at 3 O'clock low and we reconfigured the aircraft on downwind after the go around and landed on runway 22R. I didn't communicate very well with the first officer due to workload and he assumed that I saw the runway. Also; I shouldn't have called the field in sight until I was absolutely certain that I saw the runway and should have 'fessed up' earlier that I didn't have it; but was distraction due to workload. Due to our arrival angle; it was difficult to identify the runway environment as there were no approach lights on for runway 4L. Although we communicated our intentions early to ATC; we should have coordinated for the localizer and/or runway lighting for the opposite direction runway. Finally; given the winds at 2000 ft AGL; an earlier decision to go to runway 22R would have been prudent. Supplemental information from acn 784860: lesson learned: don't call the field in sight unless both pilots actually have it in sight. Also; don't rely on automation all of the time like we tend to do. We thought the localizer was operating for runway 4L; but we came to find out from tower that it was not running because we were on a visual approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATTEMPTING TO EXPEDITE THEIR ARRIVAL; FLT CREW OF B737-300 CALLS RWY IN SIGHT FOR VISUAL APCH WITHOUT ACTUALLY SEEING IT. STRONG TAILWINDS; LACK OF RAW DATA AND DEPENDENCE ON AUTOMATION RESULT IN DISORIENTATION AND THE NEED TO GAR AND LAND ON ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: MADE DECISION TO LAND ON RWY 4L IN ZZZ; OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO EXPEDITE ARR TO ARPT. WINDS WERE WITHIN LIMITS AT TOUCHDOWN; BUT 230 DEGS AT 45 KTS AT 2000 FT AGL. APPROX 20 NM FROM THE FIELD; I THOUGHT I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT; BUT PLANNED TO VERIFY WITH A COMBINATION OF LNAV AND THE LOC. AT APPROX 10 NM FROM RWY 4L I STARTED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT AT 2000 FT. THE ACFT STARTED A L TURN IN LNAV BEFORE I EXPECTED IT TO AND THE FMC THEN DISPLAYED UNABLE RNP (I BELIEVE THIS WAS DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS). I THEN WENT TO VOR/LOC EXPECTING TO GET THE LOC; BUT TWR HAD NOT TURNED THE LOC AROUND AS THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 22R. TWR THEN ASKED IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. WHEN WE DIDN'T RESPOND; HE DIRECTED THAT WE CLB TO 2000 FT AND FLY HDG 040 DEGS. TWR THEN POINTED OUT THE RWY AT 3 O'CLOCK LOW AND WE RECONFIGURED THE ACFT ON DOWNWIND AFTER THE GAR AND LANDED ON RWY 22R. I DIDN'T COMMUNICATE VERY WELL WITH THE FO DUE TO WORKLOAD AND HE ASSUMED THAT I SAW THE RWY. ALSO; I SHOULDN'T HAVE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT UNTIL I WAS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT I SAW THE RWY AND SHOULD HAVE 'FESSED UP' EARLIER THAT I DIDN'T HAVE IT; BUT WAS DISTR DUE TO WORKLOAD. DUE TO OUR ARR ANGLE; IT WAS DIFFICULT TO IDENT THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AS THERE WERE NO APCH LIGHTS ON FOR RWY 4L. ALTHOUGH WE COMMUNICATED OUR INTENTIONS EARLY TO ATC; WE SHOULD HAVE COORDINATED FOR THE LOC AND/OR RWY LIGHTING FOR THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY. FINALLY; GIVEN THE WINDS AT 2000 FT AGL; AN EARLIER DECISION TO GO TO RWY 22R WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 784860: LESSON LEARNED: DON'T CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT UNLESS BOTH PLTS ACTUALLY HAVE IT IN SIGHT. ALSO; DON'T RELY ON AUTOMATION ALL OF THE TIME LIKE WE TEND TO DO. WE THOUGHT THE LOC WAS OPERATING FOR RWY 4L; BUT WE CAME TO FIND OUT FROM TWR THAT IT WAS NOT RUNNING BECAUSE WE WERE ON A VISUAL APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Attempting to expedite their arrival; flight crew of B737-300 calls runway in sight for visual approach without actually seeing it. Strong tailwinds; lack of raw data and dependence on automation result in disorientation and the need to go around and land on active runway.