Narrative:

Approach to atl, in large transport X. WX at atl was VFR with thunder showers. We were in the clear south of the airport being vectored east for downwind. The airport could be seen off to the left. Although I don't recall 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 light transport Y at our 10 O'clock and cleared for a visual approach. Later while on final light transport Y turned right apparently to line up for the runway when we lost sight of him. We informed tower and were given the instruction to fly 360 degrees, that our interval was ok, and that we should pick up the runway shortly. On this heading we reacquired light transport Y and picked up the runway environment, but soon thereafter saw that we were passing through the localizer. During the left turn back we encountered an unexpected shower with heavy rain. This was more than just an ordinary shower, for we were getting a strong downdraft. While still in it, the captain applied full power and asked for flaps 25 degrees. After breaking a high sink rate from the downdraft, a missed approach was made. It became obvious that we had ended up right of runway 27L because we were flying over the taxiway for runway 27R. We then flew the published missed approach and were vectored for a visual approach to runway 9R. Subsequently discovered that there had been 3 aircraft 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 second light transport landed on runway 27R--the wrong runway. There were windshear alerts and a strong tailwind none of this information was communicated to us. Would recommend that visual approachs by following other aircraft be abolished. Communication and xmittal of pertinent information should be mandatory. We need windshear detectors in aircraft as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FLT CREW LOST SIGHT OF THE PRECEDING ACFT AND THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH.

Narrative: APCH TO ATL, IN LGT X. WX AT ATL WAS VFR WITH THUNDER SHOWERS. WE WERE IN THE CLR S OF THE ARPT BEING VECTORED E FOR DOWNWIND. THE ARPT COULD BE SEEN OFF TO THE LEFT. ALTHOUGH I DON'T RECALL 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 LTT Y AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. LATER WHILE ON FINAL LTT Y TURNED RIGHT APPARENTLY TO LINE UP FOR THE RWY WHEN WE LOST SIGHT OF HIM. WE INFORMED TWR AND WERE GIVEN THE INSTRUCTION TO FLY 360 DEGS, THAT OUR INTERVAL WAS OK, AND THAT WE SHOULD PICK UP THE RWY SHORTLY. ON THIS HDG WE REACQUIRED LTT Y AND PICKED UP THE RWY ENVIRONMENT, BUT SOON THEREAFTER SAW THAT WE WERE PASSING THROUGH THE LOC. DURING THE LEFT TURN BACK WE ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED SHOWER WITH HVY RAIN. THIS WAS MORE THAN JUST AN ORDINARY SHOWER, FOR WE WERE GETTING A STRONG DOWNDRAFT. WHILE STILL IN IT, THE CAPT APPLIED FULL PWR AND ASKED FOR FLAPS 25 DEGS. AFTER BREAKING A HIGH SINK RATE FROM THE DOWNDRAFT, A MISSED APCH WAS MADE. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT WE HAD ENDED UP RIGHT OF RWY 27L BECAUSE WE WERE FLYING OVER THE TXWY FOR RWY 27R. WE THEN FLEW THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH AND WERE VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9R. SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN 3 ACFT AHEAD OF US--AN LGT AND 2 LTT'S. THE LGT MISSED APCH. THE FIRST LTT LANDED ON RWY 27L AND THE SECOND LTT LANDED ON RWY 27R--THE WRONG RWY. THERE WERE WINDSHEAR ALERTS AND A STRONG TAILWIND NONE OF THIS INFO WAS COMMUNICATED TO US. WOULD RECOMMEND THAT VISUAL APCHS BY FOLLOWING OTHER ACFT BE ABOLISHED. COM AND XMITTAL OF PERTINENT INFO SHOULD BE MANDATORY. WE NEED WINDSHEAR DETECTORS IN ACFT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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.