Narrative:

We were bringing passenger into elizabeth city, nc, in a LR25. Conditions required a VOR/DME approach. Winds favored runway 19 which was too short for our aircraft but the winds were not that strong. ZDC provided us with WX and we requested VOR/DME 10 circle runway 28 and they approved it. Upon contacting tower I reported inbound VOR/DME 10 circle runway 28. He asked us to report rids MM and we did. The cockpit was loud and tower xmissions were difficult to hear but I believed they were understandable. We called airport in sight at the same time we reported rids MM. I understood tower reporting us clear to circle and land. He later played his tape to my captain who said the report was circle runway 19. I read back clear to land runway 28 and was not challenged. The captain banked too hard throughout the circle for me to see the runway. On very short final we saw two falcons being towed down the runway. We touched down briefly and went around. The captain and tower discussed the misunderstanding and tower reported that the falcons were clearing the runway and that we were clear to land runway 28. Upon turning short final again a falcon was still on the runway and we went around again. We landed on the third attempt runway 28. Washington shouldn't have cleared us to circle runway 28. The tower should have advised us of the status of runway 28 and listened better. The captain should have made a wider and more stabilized approach allowing better visibility and situation awareness. I shouldn't have allowed myself to be distraction in any way that may have led to misunderstanding tower's call. Washington, tower, my captain and I needed more assertive communication.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A LR25 CIRCLED TO LAND ON THE WRONG RWY AFTER COMPLETING A VOR APCH RESULTING IN THE TWR REQUESTING A GAR DUE TO TWO FALCON JETS BEING TOWED ON THE RWY THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON.

Narrative: WE WERE BRINGING PAX INTO ELIZABETH CITY, NC, IN A LR25. CONDITIONS REQUIRED A VOR/DME APCH. WINDS FAVORED RWY 19 WHICH WAS TOO SHORT FOR OUR ACFT BUT THE WINDS WERE NOT THAT STRONG. ZDC PROVIDED US WITH WX AND WE REQUESTED VOR/DME 10 CIRCLE RWY 28 AND THEY APPROVED IT. UPON CONTACTING TWR I RPTED INBOUND VOR/DME 10 CIRCLE RWY 28. HE ASKED US TO RPT RIDS MM AND WE DID. THE COCKPIT WAS LOUD AND TWR XMISSIONS WERE DIFFICULT TO HEAR BUT I BELIEVED THEY WERE UNDERSTANDABLE. WE CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AT THE SAME TIME WE RPTED RIDS MM. I UNDERSTOOD TWR RPTING US CLR TO CIRCLE AND LAND. HE LATER PLAYED HIS TAPE TO MY CAPT WHO SAID THE RPT WAS CIRCLE RWY 19. I READ BACK CLR TO LAND RWY 28 AND WAS NOT CHALLENGED. THE CAPT BANKED TOO HARD THROUGHOUT THE CIRCLE FOR ME TO SEE THE RWY. ON VERY SHORT FINAL WE SAW TWO FALCONS BEING TOWED DOWN THE RWY. WE TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AND WENT AROUND. THE CAPT AND TWR DISCUSSED THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND TWR RPTED THAT THE FALCONS WERE CLRING THE RWY AND THAT WE WERE CLR TO LAND RWY 28. UPON TURNING SHORT FINAL AGAIN A FALCON WAS STILL ON THE RWY AND WE WENT AROUND AGAIN. WE LANDED ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT RWY 28. WASHINGTON SHOULDN'T HAVE CLRED US TO CIRCLE RWY 28. THE TWR SHOULD HAVE ADVISED US OF THE STATUS OF RWY 28 AND LISTENED BETTER. THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE MADE A WIDER AND MORE STABILIZED APCH ALLOWING BETTER VISIBILITY AND SIT AWARENESS. I SHOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTR IN ANY WAY THAT MAY HAVE LED TO MISUNDERSTANDING TWR'S CALL. WASHINGTON, TWR, MY CAPT AND I NEEDED MORE ASSERTIVE COM.

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.