Narrative:

Flying the runway 31C approach (ILS) at midway circle to land runway 22L, at night. Started to circle, tower cleared us to land runway 22L '#3' on approach. Tower never stated where the other aircraft were. We continued to maneuver southeast of field and were setting up for a 3 mi final. On dogleg another aircraft reported that we were going to conflict with them on final. Tower then told us to turn slightly right and pointed out our traffic and we saw the traffic -- tried to maneuver behind them and continue the approach, but was still too close so we broke off the approach. Being at night, with too many aircraft in the area created a potential dangerous situation. Unless you consistently do this approach, the workload on 2 crew members is tremendous. This airport along with this approach is an accident waiting to happen. With this approach, when the circle is initiated the first officer completely loses sight of airport. Therefore, the first officer must monitor the captain flying, answer radio calls, look for the runway, look for other aircraft that has the TCASII looking like a christmas tree and do the checklist. I know this is what we normally do on an approach but a circling approach is much different, which leads to my question of why not just fly the runway 31C approach to a landing, especially at night. With all the ground lights it is very easy to lose the runway and/or the preceding aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF DC9 BREAKS OFF CIRCLING APCH DUE TO PROX OF TFC THEY ARE FOLLOWING. GIVEN #3 FOR THE APCH BUT NEVER INFORMED OF POS OF OTHER ACFT ALSO CIRCLING.

Narrative: FLYING THE RWY 31C APCH (ILS) AT MIDWAY CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 22L, AT NIGHT. STARTED TO CIRCLE, TWR CLRED US TO LAND RWY 22L '#3' ON APCH. TWR NEVER STATED WHERE THE OTHER ACFT WERE. WE CONTINUED TO MANEUVER SE OF FIELD AND WERE SETTING UP FOR A 3 MI FINAL. ON DOGLEG ANOTHER ACFT RPTED THAT WE WERE GOING TO CONFLICT WITH THEM ON FINAL. TWR THEN TOLD US TO TURN SLIGHTLY R AND POINTED OUT OUR TFC AND WE SAW THE TFC -- TRIED TO MANEUVER BEHIND THEM AND CONTINUE THE APCH, BUT WAS STILL TOO CLOSE SO WE BROKE OFF THE APCH. BEING AT NIGHT, WITH TOO MANY ACFT IN THE AREA CREATED A POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SIT. UNLESS YOU CONSISTENTLY DO THIS APCH, THE WORKLOAD ON 2 CREW MEMBERS IS TREMENDOUS. THIS ARPT ALONG WITH THIS APCH IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WITH THIS APCH, WHEN THE CIRCLE IS INITIATED THE FO COMPLETELY LOSES SIGHT OF ARPT. THEREFORE, THE FO MUST MONITOR THE CAPT FLYING, ANSWER RADIO CALLS, LOOK FOR THE RWY, LOOK FOR OTHER ACFT THAT HAS THE TCASII LOOKING LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND DO THE CHKLIST. I KNOW THIS IS WHAT WE NORMALLY DO ON AN APCH BUT A CIRCLING APCH IS MUCH DIFFERENT, WHICH LEADS TO MY QUESTION OF WHY NOT JUST FLY THE RWY 31C APCH TO A LNDG, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. WITH ALL THE GND LIGHTS IT IS VERY EASY TO LOSE THE RWY AND/OR THE PRECEDING ACFT.

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.