Narrative:

We were inbound from the northeast being vectored for landing on runway 23 at clt. The first officer was the PF. The first officer called runway 23 in sight and was cleared for the visual when in fact he did not have the runway in sight. I indicated to him that he could continue if he had the runway in sight, but I also indicated to him that I did not have it in sight. Nevertheless, he continued and when I finally spotted the runway and realized that there was no way that he could have made the runway given the airplane's proximity and confign, I instructed him to circle to the right to lose altitude which would cross the final of runway 18L. I elected to do this because a heading of 230 degrees would take us across runway 18R where another aircraft was on approach for landing. It was a decision that had to be made quickly because we were close to the threshold of runway 23 and there was conversation on the frequency, therefore, I could not correspond with the tower to get instructions prior to making the decision. After corresponding with the tower, he advised us that we were cleared to land and asked us if we had the other aircraft on approach in sight. I indicated that we did and in fact I had visual contact with that aircraft at all times and there was never any danger of getting too close. I also spoke with the controller on the ground and he indicated that a better option would have been to climb 'a' straight ahead on runway heading (230 degrees). I agree that straight ahead would have been a better option if I had known what kind of activity was on runway 18R, but I didn't at the time. On a heading of 230 degrees, I would have eventually xed runway 18R. I think the biggest contributing factor was the time of day. Traditionally, dusk is a little more risky because your perceptions are changing from day to night and the runway lights have not been turned up for night activity. Another aircraft landing immediately after me requested that they turn the lights up on runway 23 because he was having trouble finding it. I feel that this adds validity to my point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT TOO HIGH ON FINAL MADE UNAUTH RIGHT CIRCLE OVER INTERSECTING RWY FINAL APCH COURSE.

Narrative: WE WERE INBND FROM THE NE BEING VECTORED FOR LNDG ON RWY 23 AT CLT. THE F/O WAS THE PF. THE F/O CALLED RWY 23 IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL WHEN IN FACT HE DID NOT HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. I INDICATED TO HIM THAT HE COULD CONTINUE IF HE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, BUT I ALSO INDICATED TO HIM THAT I DID NOT HAVE IT IN SIGHT. NEVERTHELESS, HE CONTINUED AND WHEN I FINALLY SPOTTED THE RWY AND REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT HE COULD HAVE MADE THE RWY GIVEN THE AIRPLANE'S PROX AND CONFIGN, I INSTRUCTED HIM TO CIRCLE TO THE RIGHT TO LOSE ALT WHICH WOULD CROSS THE FINAL OF RWY 18L. I ELECTED TO DO THIS BECAUSE A HDG OF 230 DEGS WOULD TAKE US ACROSS RWY 18R WHERE ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON APCH FOR LNDG. IT WAS A DECISION THAT HAD TO BE MADE QUICKLY BECAUSE WE WERE CLOSE TO THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 23 AND THERE WAS CONVERSATION ON THE FREQ, THEREFORE, I COULD NOT CORRESPOND WITH THE TWR TO GET INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO MAKING THE DECISION. AFTER CORRESPONDING WITH THE TWR, HE ADVISED US THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND ASKED US IF WE HAD THE OTHER ACFT ON APCH IN SIGHT. I INDICATED THAT WE DID AND IN FACT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THAT ACFT AT ALL TIMES AND THERE WAS NEVER ANY DANGER OF GETTING TOO CLOSE. I ALSO SPOKE WITH THE CTLR ON THE GND AND HE INDICATED THAT A BETTER OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CLB 'A' STRAIGHT AHEAD ON RWY HDG (230 DEGS). I AGREE THAT STRAIGHT AHEAD WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER OPTION IF I HAD KNOWN WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITY WAS ON RWY 18R, BUT I DIDN'T AT THE TIME. ON A HDG OF 230 DEGS, I WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY XED RWY 18R. I THINK THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE TIME OF DAY. TRADITIONALLY, DUSK IS A LITTLE MORE RISKY BECAUSE YOUR PERCEPTIONS ARE CHANGING FROM DAY TO NIGHT AND THE RWY LIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED UP FOR NIGHT ACTIVITY. ANOTHER ACFT LNDG IMMEDIATELY AFTER ME REQUESTED THAT THEY TURN THE LIGHTS UP ON RWY 23 BECAUSE HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE FINDING IT. I FEEL THAT THIS ADDS VALIDITY TO MY POINT.

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.