Narrative:

We were cleared the mount vernon visual runway 1 circle-to-land runway 33. ATIS called winds at approximately 9 KTS out of the west. As we were in the circling maneuver from base to final for runway 33; another aircraft asked for a wind check. Tower now said the winds were out of the west gusting to 33 KTS. I immediately now knew I would overshoot final. I tried to correct for it and still blew through it. In attempting to re-stabilize onto final; I received a bank angle warning from the egpws; now trying to correct for that I then started getting bounced around pretty good by the gusty winds. I did not like this situation; especially this close to the ground; so I immediately did a go around and circled back around requesting a straight-in approach this time to runway 1 and informed the tower that in those conditions it just was not safe to attempt another circle to runway 33. Had I known of the wind conditions prior to commencing the approach; I would not have accepted the circling maneuver. It is my personal feeling after this experience that this approach is not a safe procedure if winds are anything more than light and variable; especially when out of the west. You are too close to the ground to really have a whole lot of time to correct for any abnormalities. Better communication of the conditions should have been made; without prompting; much sooner for us. Neither my for nor I had any idea that we would encounter those conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ FLT CREW EXECUTES A GAR FROM AN UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED THE MOUNT VERNON VISUAL RWY 1 CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 33. ATIS CALLED WINDS AT APPROX 9 KTS OUT OF THE W. AS WE WERE IN THE CIRCLING MANEUVER FROM BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 33; ANOTHER ACFT ASKED FOR A WIND CHK. TWR NOW SAID THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE W GUSTING TO 33 KTS. I IMMEDIATELY NOW KNEW I WOULD OVERSHOOT FINAL. I TRIED TO CORRECT FOR IT AND STILL BLEW THROUGH IT. IN ATTEMPTING TO RE-STABILIZE ONTO FINAL; I RECEIVED A BANK ANGLE WARNING FROM THE EGPWS; NOW TRYING TO CORRECT FOR THAT I THEN STARTED GETTING BOUNCED AROUND PRETTY GOOD BY THE GUSTY WINDS. I DID NOT LIKE THIS SITUATION; ESPECIALLY THIS CLOSE TO THE GND; SO I IMMEDIATELY DID A GAR AND CIRCLED BACK AROUND REQUESTING A STRAIGHT-IN APCH THIS TIME TO RWY 1 AND INFORMED THE TWR THAT IN THOSE CONDITIONS IT JUST WAS NOT SAFE TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER CIRCLE TO RWY 33. HAD I KNOWN OF THE WIND CONDITIONS PRIOR TO COMMENCING THE APCH; I WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE CIRCLING MANEUVER. IT IS MY PERSONAL FEELING AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE THAT THIS APCH IS NOT A SAFE PROC IF WINDS ARE ANYTHING MORE THAN LIGHT AND VARIABLE; ESPECIALLY WHEN OUT OF THE W. YOU ARE TOO CLOSE TO THE GND TO REALLY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO CORRECT FOR ANY ABNORMALITIES. BETTER COM OF THE CONDITIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE; WITHOUT PROMPTING; MUCH SOONER FOR US. NEITHER MY FOR NOR I HAD ANY IDEA THAT WE WOULD ENCOUNTER THOSE CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.