A B727-200 first officer report on fuel remaining after making a third approach to get into elp, tx.

Attributes
ACN	527073
Time
Date	200110
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp.airport
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	other
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : elp.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : missed approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : elp.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	527073
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Environmental Factor Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

First officer flying pilot. Elp reported winds 330/29g37. Wind conditions made ILS 22 unfavorable, and we were cleared for the VOR/DME 26L. Visibility reported at 1 mi. Established inbound on the 245 degrees. The sun combined with the blowing dust resulted in us not being in position to land when we made visual on runway. We attempted a second approach with same result. I called missed approach, and told captain we should continue to alternate. The captain and engineer determined that our fuel status was ok for a third approach, and we got vectored for our third attempt with the captain as flying pilot. A B737 was at the same time on his second attempt and this delayed us further. At MDA on captain's approach, we were still not in position for straight in. But the dust was moving out, and the sun setting so visibility improved greatly. We could now do a visual with left downwind/base for runway 26L. We landed with 50 min fuel remaining. The captain's decision to attempt a third approach, and failing to consider the delay being vectored behind at low altitude, and added fuel burn, consumed the majority of our cruise fuel to alternate. Although we landed with legal IFR reserve, we should have continued to the alternate after our second approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 FIRST OFFICER RPT ON FUEL REMAINING AFTER MAKING A THIRD APCH TO GET INTO ELP, TX.

Narrative: FIRST OFFICER FLYING PLT. ELP RPTED WINDS 330/29G37. WIND CONDITIONS MADE ILS 22 UNFAVORABLE, AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VOR/DME 26L. VISIBILITY RPTED AT 1 MI. ESTABLISHED INBOUND ON THE 245 DEGS. THE SUN COMBINED WITH THE BLOWING DUST RESULTED IN US NOT BEING IN POS TO LAND WHEN WE MADE VISUAL ON RWY. WE ATTEMPTED A SECOND APCH WITH SAME RESULT. I CALLED MISSED APCH, AND TOLD CAPT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO ALTERNATE. THE CAPT AND ENGINEER DETERMINED THAT OUR FUEL STATUS WAS OK FOR A THIRD APCH, AND WE GOT VECTORED FOR OUR THIRD ATTEMPT WITH THE CAPT AS FLYING PLT. A B737 WAS AT THE SAME TIME ON HIS SECOND ATTEMPT AND THIS DELAYED US FURTHER. AT MDA ON CAPT'S APCH, WE WERE STILL NOT IN POS FOR STRAIGHT IN. BUT THE DUST WAS MOVING OUT, AND THE SUN SETTING SO VISIBILITY IMPROVED GREATLY. WE COULD NOW DO A VISUAL WITH LEFT DOWNWIND/BASE FOR RWY 26L. WE LANDED WITH 50 MIN FUEL REMAINING. THE CAPT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT A THIRD APCH, AND FAILING TO CONSIDER THE DELAY BEING VECTORED BEHIND AT LOW ALT, AND ADDED FUEL BURN, CONSUMED THE MAJORITY OF OUR CRUISE FUEL TO ALTERNATE. ALTHOUGH WE LANDED WITH LEGAL IFR RESERVE, WE SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO THE ALTERNATE AFTER OUR SECOND APCH.

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.