Narrative:

We were approaching lax from north on fillmore 4 profile descent. Approaching smo VOR we were told to expect visual approach to runway 24R. We were then cleared to 5000' and then later reduced to 180 KIAS. After we xed smo VOR we were turned to 160 degree heading inside of the published visual flight track, but were not given a lower altitude or a reduced airspeed. On the 160 degree heading when abeam the end of runway 24R we were cleared for visual to runway 25R, but to stay to right of an inbound widebody transport below and to our left. The widebody transport was using runway 25L. At this point I was at 5000'/180 KIAS, 4.5 NM from end of runway 25R. An impossible situation. We attempted the approach and went missed approach at 1000' over the end of runway 25R. On the next approach lax TRACON vectored us back to smo VOR for the same visual approach. To make a long story short, we were put back into the exact same situation--5000' and 4.5 mi from end of runway, high and with traffic below left. Again we attempted approach and went around at 500'. On third approach we were given 10 mi final and reasonable altitude. With runway 24L closed lax TRACON is trying to put 6 pounds into a 5 pound bag. They are pushing the system past reasonable limits and putting aircraft and crew in impossible situations. A phone call to the manager on duty at lax TRACON brought the explanation that we were being handled by a trnee controller on the first 2 apches who kept us too close to the airport and forgot to descend us on the turn to base leg. I understand their dilemma with runway 24R closed, but they simply cannot force the system past its or aircraft operating limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ON VECTOR FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25R WAS KEPT TOO HIGH TWICE FOR VISUAL APCHS TO ARPT. ON THIRD APCH ACFT WAS ABLE TO LAND. CTLR TRAINING IN PROGRESS.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING LAX FROM N ON FILLMORE 4 PROFILE DSCNT. APCHING SMO VOR WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 5000' AND THEN LATER REDUCED TO 180 KIAS. AFTER WE XED SMO VOR WE WERE TURNED TO 160 DEG HDG INSIDE OF THE PUBLISHED VISUAL FLT TRACK, BUT WERE NOT GIVEN A LOWER ALT OR A REDUCED AIRSPD. ON THE 160 DEG HDG WHEN ABEAM THE END OF RWY 24R WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 25R, BUT TO STAY TO RIGHT OF AN INBND WDB BELOW AND TO OUR LEFT. THE WDB WAS USING RWY 25L. AT THIS POINT I WAS AT 5000'/180 KIAS, 4.5 NM FROM END OF RWY 25R. AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION. WE ATTEMPTED THE APCH AND WENT MISSED APCH AT 1000' OVER THE END OF RWY 25R. ON THE NEXT APCH LAX TRACON VECTORED US BACK TO SMO VOR FOR THE SAME VISUAL APCH. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, WE WERE PUT BACK INTO THE EXACT SAME SITUATION--5000' AND 4.5 MI FROM END OF RWY, HIGH AND WITH TFC BELOW LEFT. AGAIN WE ATTEMPTED APCH AND WENT AROUND AT 500'. ON THIRD APCH WE WERE GIVEN 10 MI FINAL AND REASONABLE ALT. WITH RWY 24L CLOSED LAX TRACON IS TRYING TO PUT 6 LBS INTO A 5 LB BAG. THEY ARE PUSHING THE SYS PAST REASONABLE LIMITS AND PUTTING ACFT AND CREW IN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS. A PHONE CALL TO THE MGR ON DUTY AT LAX TRACON BROUGHT THE EXPLANATION THAT WE WERE BEING HANDLED BY A TRNEE CTLR ON THE FIRST 2 APCHES WHO KEPT US TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND FORGOT TO DSND US ON THE TURN TO BASE LEG. I UNDERSTAND THEIR DILEMMA WITH RWY 24R CLOSED, BUT THEY SIMPLY CANNOT FORCE THE SYS PAST ITS OR ACFT OPERATING LIMITS.

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