Narrative:

Air carrier X on approach to detroit metropolitan wayne county. Approach control cleared us for a visual approach and advised us to contact the tower. On final approach 2-3 mi out the runway (edge) lights went out, we were asked if we could land with just centerline lighting. We replied negative and were instructed to make a go around maintain 4000 ft turn left to 120 degree heading for vectors for a visual runway 21C. We then switched over to approach control. We were then again cleared for a visual approach to runway 21C and again switched over to the tower. Dtw tower told us to slow to approach speed so he could get a departure out after an arrival and us. We were about 4-5 mi out on a visual to runway 21C at this point, traffic in front of us about 1-2 mi on approach. We immediately slowed from 160 KTS to our final approach speed about 135 KTS to 140 KTS. The aircraft that landed in front of us was told to expedite off the runway to get a departure out as well as our arrival. He said we were 1-2 mi on final. When we were on short final 1/2 to 1 mi I could see that things were not going to work out due to the departing aircraft still at the approach end of the runway. We initiated an immediate go around also advising the tower, he instructed us to climb to 4000. No heading was given. I replied maintain 4000 ft, do you have a heading for us. He said will give you one in a min (keep in mind we were runway heading on a go around with an aircraft departing the same runway on a detroit metropolitan 9 departure climb on assigned heading to 10000 ft at this point my first officer turned about 15 degree left to avoid a conflict with the departing traffic on runway 21C. We were then instructed to fly a 120 degree heading. Somewhere between the time we initiated the turn to 120 and were level at 4000 ft we received a TA from TCASII which showed the aircraft at our 4-5 O'clock position and at our altitude about 1 mi off our right rear (no RA occurred at any time). Upon landing at dtw I did call the tower supervisor and explained my concerns about the possibility of a near miss or traffic conflict with the departing aircraft. I would also like to add at no time did we see the departing aircraft other than the TA on TCASII.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X EXECUTED GAR DUE TO OCCUPIED RWY ACFT Y TKOF. RWY EDGE LIGHTS FAILED WHILE ACR X ON SHORT FINAL. ACR X MISSED APCH.

Narrative: ACR X ON APCH TO DETROIT METRO WAYNE COUNTY. APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH AND ADVISED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. ON FINAL APCH 2-3 MI OUT THE RWY (EDGE) LIGHTS WENT OUT, WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD LAND WITH JUST CTRLINE LIGHTING. WE REPLIED NEGATIVE AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A GAR MAINTAIN 4000 FT TURN L TO 120 DEG HDG FOR VECTORS FOR A VISUAL RWY 21C. WE THEN SWITCHED OVER TO APCH CTL. WE WERE THEN AGAIN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 21C AND AGAIN SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWR. DTW TWR TOLD US TO SLOW TO APCH SPD SO HE COULD GET A DEP OUT AFTER AN ARR AND US. WE WERE ABOUT 4-5 MI OUT ON A VISUAL TO RWY 21C AT THIS POINT, TFC IN FRONT OF US ABOUT 1-2 MI ON APCH. WE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED FROM 160 KTS TO OUR FINAL APCH SPD ABOUT 135 KTS TO 140 KTS. THE ACFT THAT LANDED IN FRONT OF US WAS TOLD TO EXPEDITE OFF THE RWY TO GET A DEP OUT AS WELL AS OUR ARR. HE SAID WE WERE 1-2 MI ON FINAL. WHEN WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL 1/2 TO 1 MI I COULD SEE THAT THINGS WERE NOT GOING TO WORK OUT DUE TO THE DEPARTING ACFT STILL AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY. WE INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE GAR ALSO ADVISING THE TWR, HE INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO 4000. NO HDG WAS GIVEN. I REPLIED MAINTAIN 4000 FT, DO YOU HAVE A HDG FOR US. HE SAID WILL GIVE YOU ONE IN A MIN (KEEP IN MIND WE WERE RWY HDG ON A GAR WITH AN ACFT DEPARTING THE SAME RWY ON A DETROIT METRO 9 DEP CLB ON ASSIGNED HDG TO 10000 FT AT THIS POINT MY FO TURNED ABOUT 15 DEG L TO AVOID A CONFLICT WITH THE DEPARTING TFC ON RWY 21C. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO FLY A 120 DEG HDG. SOMEWHERE BTWN THE TIME WE INITIATED THE TURN TO 120 AND WERE LEVEL AT 4000 FT WE RECEIVED A TA FROM TCASII WHICH SHOWED THE ACFT AT OUR 4-5 O'CLOCK POS AND AT OUR ALT ABOUT 1 MI OFF OUR R REAR (NO RA OCCURRED AT ANY TIME). UPON LNDG AT DTW I DID CALL THE TWR SUPVR AND EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEAR MISS OR TFC CONFLICT WITH THE DEPARTING ACFT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD AT NO TIME DID WE SEE THE DEPARTING ACFT OTHER THAN THE TA ON TCASII.

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