Narrative:

Due to direct routing and stronger than forecast tailwinds, we arrived in the mco area weighing 130900 pounds. We configured early and arrived downwind at 130200 pounds. On short final the totalizer showed 130400 pounds. We executed a go around. After landing, approach control expressed a concern that we did not decide earlier to make the go around. We believed we would be light enough to land until at 500 ft AGL, runway 18L, the totalizer showed 130400 pounds. Apparently they had cleared someone to take off from runway 17 and were not prepared for an aircraft making a go around on short final. The only thing we could have done differently is to have advised tower that we might have to go around. We took it as close as we could in an attempt to avoid the go around if at all possible. Based on the totalizer reading on downwind, we thought we were going to be ok.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80S ACFT ON APCH WAS OVERWT FOR LNDG, BUT FLC THOUGHT THE FUEL WOULD BURN DOWN ENOUGH TO BE WITHIN WT LIMIT. ON SHORT FINAL THEY REALIZED IT WAS STILL OVERWT SO DID A GAR. TWR LCL CTLR WAS UNHAPPY BECAUSE AN ACFT WAS DEPARTING ON ANOTHER RWY.

Narrative: DUE TO DIRECT ROUTING AND STRONGER THAN FORECAST TAILWINDS, WE ARRIVED IN THE MCO AREA WEIGHING 130900 LBS. WE CONFIGURED EARLY AND ARRIVED DOWNWIND AT 130200 LBS. ON SHORT FINAL THE TOTALIZER SHOWED 130400 LBS. WE EXECUTED A GAR. AFTER LNDG, APCH CTL EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT WE DID NOT DECIDE EARLIER TO MAKE THE GAR. WE BELIEVED WE WOULD BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO LAND UNTIL AT 500 FT AGL, RWY 18L, THE TOTALIZER SHOWED 130400 LBS. APPARENTLY THEY HAD CLRED SOMEONE TO TAKE OFF FROM RWY 17 AND WERE NOT PREPARED FOR AN ACFT MAKING A GAR ON SHORT FINAL. THE ONLY THING WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS TO HAVE ADVISED TWR THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO GAR. WE TOOK IT AS CLOSE AS WE COULD IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE GAR IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. BASED ON THE TOTALIZER READING ON DOWNWIND, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE OK.

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.