Narrative:

Descending into to orlando (mco), approach changed our runway from runway 17 to runway 18L and to expect the visual. The captain was flying during his IOE and he asked me to set him up for runway 18L approach. We saw the runway, and approach cleared us for the visual approach, maintain 180 KTS and cross mco VOR at or above 2500 ft MSL. The PF configured the aircraft and we were crossing the mco VOR co-located with orlando executive airport at 2500 ft when we received first a TA of traffic at 10 O'clock position at our altitude. The TA then changed to an RA. The PF delayed slightly due to confusion of display. I advised to pull and go around which the PF did. Engaging go around mode of the airbus at a high altitude confused the PF and I had to take the airplane to prevent exceeding flap speed and flying above our cleared altitude given to us by approach. After reconfiguring the airplane, approach again brought us around for the same approach to runway 18L and again we received a TA crossing the mco VOR at 2500 ft, but were able to complete approach and land. The problem is crossing an active airport at 2500 ft, all pilots will hit the 2500 ft altitude due to if higher will be unable to complete approach at mco due to mco being only 4 mi south of VOR and airport. This is in my opinion an accident waiting to happen. An additional factor is lack of training by airbus or company in proper way to do a soft go around without engaging go around mode. To go to full go around gives too much power, resulting in easy flap or altitude exceedance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE IN APCH CHANGE AT MCO BY A320 CAUSES CONFUSION AND DANGEROUS SIT AS CONFLICTS ESCALATE.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO TO ORLANDO (MCO), APCH CHANGED OUR RWY FROM RWY 17 TO RWY 18L AND TO EXPECT THE VISUAL. THE CAPT WAS FLYING DURING HIS IOE AND HE ASKED ME TO SET HIM UP FOR RWY 18L APCH. WE SAW THE RWY, AND APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH, MAINTAIN 180 KTS AND CROSS MCO VOR AT OR ABOVE 2500 FT MSL. THE PF CONFIGURED THE ACFT AND WE WERE XING THE MCO VOR CO-LOCATED WITH ORLANDO EXECUTIVE ARPT AT 2500 FT WHEN WE RECEIVED FIRST A TA OF TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AT OUR ALT. THE TA THEN CHANGED TO AN RA. THE PF DELAYED SLIGHTLY DUE TO CONFUSION OF DISPLAY. I ADVISED TO PULL AND GO AROUND WHICH THE PF DID. ENGAGING GAR MODE OF THE AIRBUS AT A HIGH ALT CONFUSED THE PF AND I HAD TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE TO PREVENT EXCEEDING FLAP SPD AND FLYING ABOVE OUR CLRED ALT GIVEN TO US BY APCH. AFTER RECONFIGURING THE AIRPLANE, APCH AGAIN BROUGHT US AROUND FOR THE SAME APCH TO RWY 18L AND AGAIN WE RECEIVED A TA XING THE MCO VOR AT 2500 FT, BUT WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE APCH AND LAND. THE PROB IS XING AN ACTIVE ARPT AT 2500 FT, ALL PLTS WILL HIT THE 2500 FT ALT DUE TO IF HIGHER WILL BE UNABLE TO COMPLETE APCH AT MCO DUE TO MCO BEING ONLY 4 MI S OF VOR AND ARPT. THIS IS IN MY OPINION AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. AN ADDITIONAL FACTOR IS LACK OF TRAINING BY AIRBUS OR COMPANY IN PROPER WAY TO DO A SOFT GAR WITHOUT ENGAGING GAR MODE. TO GO TO FULL GAR GIVES TOO MUCH PWR, RESULTING IN EASY FLAP OR ALT EXCEEDANCE.

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.