Narrative:

All night flight from aukland, new zealand too honolulu. Arrival at local area at OX00 hours. Descent was started at approximately 120 DME from hnl. During descent, ATIS was given 2000 scattered 4000 broken 10000 overcast visibility 6 mi wind 020/15-20 KTS. ILS 8L, 4R were said to be in use. Going through 18000 we encountered heavy rain with moderate turbulence. We went to the left of this line thinking that 8L would be the runway offered to us. After some vectoring and a clearance to 10000 ft, we were then told that the runway in use was now the lda 26L. ATIS had not changed. When handed to the approach controller, we were cleared to 2000 ft and given a new wind of 220/20 KTS. As we listened to approach control, it became evident from his conversation with other aircraft that the WX was worse than the ATIS stated. Approach control was being worked from the tower and the controller was working local/ground control. The approach for 26L was briefed out of 10000 ft. In the briefing the note on the plate was read that stated 'this procedure not authorized at night when the MALSF inoperative.' the aircraft on the approach ahead of us was a heavy widebody transport. Our first clue that something might be worse than reported was when this aircraft missed the approach. We encountered heavy rain, low visibility and also missed the approach on the first try, as did the aircraft behind us. All aircraft now missed a second time as the WX had only improved marginally on the second try. Some ground lights were seen but the runway environment was never encountered. Fuel was now becoming an issue and we decided that should we miss again, we would ask for ILS 4R, 8L or go to barbers point. The widebody transport ahead of us made it on the third try. It asked the approach controller to confirm that the MALSF was on as they had not seen it on sighting the runway environment. Controller replied in the affirmative. We also made a successful attempt on the third try but also did not see the MALSF. Tower again showed that it was operational, but would send someone to confirm. This was an awful lot that was asked of tired flight crew after an all night flight (8+ hours). Everything took longer than necessary due to one man having to handle approach, tower, ground as we could hear him giving instructions to all the above. Also he was unable to update the ATIS as he was too busy. Timely WX was much needed for planning purposes. Also, had a better approach been used, this would have changed the situation. The lda 26L definitely should not be used at night without the MALSF just like it said on the plate. I was flying and was quite tired when we were finished at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X MISSED APCH INACCURATE WX RPTED BY ATIS. APCH CTL BEING WORKED FROM TWR. COMBINED POSITIONS OF OP.

Narrative: ALL NIGHT FLT FROM AUKLAND, NEW ZEALAND TOO HONOLULU. ARR AT LCL AREA AT OX00 HRS. DSCNT WAS STARTED AT APPROX 120 DME FROM HNL. DURING DSCNT, ATIS WAS GIVEN 2000 SCATTERED 4000 BROKEN 10000 OVCST VISIBILITY 6 MI WIND 020/15-20 KTS. ILS 8L, 4R WERE SAID TO BE IN USE. GOING THROUGH 18000 WE ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN WITH MODERATE TURB. WE WENT TO THE L OF THIS LINE THINKING THAT 8L WOULD BE THE RWY OFFERED TO US. AFTER SOME VECTORING AND A CLRNC TO 10000 FT, WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT THE RWY IN USE WAS NOW THE LDA 26L. ATIS HAD NOT CHANGED. WHEN HANDED TO THE APCH CTLR, WE WERE CLRED TO 2000 FT AND GIVEN A NEW WIND OF 220/20 KTS. AS WE LISTENED TO APCH CTL, IT BECAME EVIDENT FROM HIS CONVERSATION WITH OTHER ACFT THAT THE WX WAS WORSE THAN THE ATIS STATED. APCH CTL WAS BEING WORKED FROM THE TWR AND THE CTLR WAS WORKING LCL/GND CTL. THE APCH FOR 26L WAS BRIEFED OUT OF 10000 FT. IN THE BRIEFING THE NOTE ON THE PLATE WAS READ THAT STATED 'THIS PROC NOT AUTHORIZED AT NIGHT WHEN THE MALSF INOP.' THE ACFT ON THE APCH AHEAD OF US WAS A HVY WDB. OUR FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE WORSE THAN RPTED WAS WHEN THIS ACFT MISSED THE APCH. WE ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN, LOW VISIBILITY AND ALSO MISSED THE APCH ON THE FIRST TRY, AS DID THE ACFT BEHIND US. ALL ACFT NOW MISSED A SECOND TIME AS THE WX HAD ONLY IMPROVED MARGINALLY ON THE SECOND TRY. SOME GND LIGHTS WERE SEEN BUT THE RWY ENVIRONMENT WAS NEVER ENCOUNTERED. FUEL WAS NOW BECOMING AN ISSUE AND WE DECIDED THAT SHOULD WE MISS AGAIN, WE WOULD ASK FOR ILS 4R, 8L OR GO TO BARBERS POINT. THE WDB AHEAD OF US MADE IT ON THE THIRD TRY. IT ASKED THE APCH CTLR TO CONFIRM THAT THE MALSF WAS ON AS THEY HAD NOT SEEN IT ON SIGHTING THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. CTLR REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE ALSO MADE A SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT ON THE THIRD TRY BUT ALSO DID NOT SEE THE MALSF. TWR AGAIN SHOWED THAT IT WAS OPERATIONAL, BUT WOULD SEND SOMEONE TO CONFIRM. THIS WAS AN AWFUL LOT THAT WAS ASKED OF TIRED FLC AFTER AN ALL NIGHT FLT (8+ HRS). EVERYTHING TOOK LONGER THAN NECESSARY DUE TO ONE MAN HAVING TO HANDLE APCH, TWR, GND AS WE COULD HEAR HIM GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL THE ABOVE. ALSO HE WAS UNABLE TO UPDATE THE ATIS AS HE WAS TOO BUSY. TIMELY WX WAS MUCH NEEDED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. ALSO, HAD A BETTER APCH BEEN USED, THIS WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE SITUATION. THE LDA 26L DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT BE USED AT NIGHT WITHOUT THE MALSF JUST LIKE IT SAID ON THE PLATE. I WAS FLYING AND WAS QUITE TIRED WHEN WE WERE FINISHED AT THE GATE.

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.