Narrative:

WX at atl was VMC with thunderstorms. We were in the clear south of the airport being vectored east for downwind. The airport could be off to the left. Although we don't remember exactly, there were words to the effect that for final we would be vectored back to the airport south of the runway 27L localizer where there was an existing thunderstorm. Shortly thereafter we were instructed to follow an light transport Y at our 10 O'clock position and cleared for a visual approach to follow the light transport Y. Later on final the light transport Y turned right apparently to line up for the runway. When we lost sight of him we informed tower and were instructed to fly heading 300 degrees, that our interval was ok and that we should pick up the runway shortly. On this heading we reacquired the light transport Y and soon thereafter saw that we were going through the localizer. During the left turn back we encountered an unexpected shower with heavy rain. This was more than just an ordinary show for we were getting strong downdraft. I applied full power and asked for flaps 25 degrees. After breaking a high sink rate a missed approach was made. It became obvious that we had right of runway 27L because we were flying over the taxiway for runway 27R. We flew the published missed approach and were vectored to visual landing to runway 27R. Subsequently discovered that 3 aircraft were ahead of us, an large transport and 2 light transport's. The large transport missed approach, the first light transport landed on runway 27L and the preceding light transport landed on the wrong runway 27R. There were wind shear alerts at the airport and strong tailwinds. None of the above information was communicated to us. Believe that visual approachs by following aircraft should be abolished. Betters communications and xmittal of information is mandatory. Wind shear detectors in aircraft as soon as possible!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ON VISUAL APCH IN DETERIORATING WX LOST SIGHT OF PRECEDING ACFT. THEN WHEN VECTORED, FAILED TO INTERCEPT LOCALIZER AND ENCOUNTERED STRONG DOWNDRAFT, EXECUTED GO AROUND.

Narrative: WX AT ATL WAS VMC WITH TSTMS. WE WERE IN THE CLEAR S OF THE ARPT BEING VECTORED E FOR DOWNWIND. THE ARPT COULD BE OFF TO THE LEFT. ALTHOUGH WE DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, THERE WERE WORDS TO THE EFFECT THAT FOR FINAL WE WOULD BE VECTORED BACK TO THE ARPT S OF THE RWY 27L LOC WHERE THERE WAS AN EXISTING TSTM. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW AN LTT Y AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW THE LTT Y. LATER ON FINAL THE LTT Y TURNED RIGHT APPARENTLY TO LINE UP FOR THE RWY. WHEN WE LOST SIGHT OF HIM WE INFORMED TWR AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO FLY HDG 300 DEGS, THAT OUR INTERVAL WAS OK AND THAT WE SHOULD PICK UP THE RWY SHORTLY. ON THIS HDG WE REACQUIRED THE LTT Y AND SOON THEREAFTER SAW THAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE LOC. DURING THE LEFT TURN BACK WE ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED SHOWER WITH HVY RAIN. THIS WAS MORE THAN JUST AN ORDINARY SHOW FOR WE WERE GETTING STRONG DOWNDRAFT. I APPLIED FULL PWR AND ASKED FOR FLAPS 25 DEGS. AFTER BREAKING A HIGH SINK RATE A MISSED APCH WAS MADE. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT WE HAD RIGHT OF RWY 27L BECAUSE WE WERE FLYING OVER THE TXWY FOR RWY 27R. WE FLEW THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH AND WERE VECTORED TO VISUAL LNDG TO RWY 27R. SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT 3 ACFT WERE AHEAD OF US, AN LGT AND 2 LTT'S. THE LGT MISSED APCH, THE FIRST LTT LANDED ON RWY 27L AND THE PRECEDING LTT LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY 27R. THERE WERE WIND SHEAR ALERTS AT THE ARPT AND STRONG TAILWINDS. NONE OF THE ABOVE INFO WAS COMMUNICATED TO US. BELIEVE THAT VISUAL APCHS BY FOLLOWING ACFT SHOULD BE ABOLISHED. BETTERS COMS AND XMITTAL OF INFO IS MANDATORY. WIND SHEAR DETECTORS IN ACFT ASAP!

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.