Narrative:

Captain was PF. First officer was PNF. Phx ATIS was calling for ILS to runway 7R which was briefed and set up in FMS (wind 140/7). On initial contact with phx approach; no runway was assigned. Approach control later notified us of a runway change in progress due to gust front approaching from distant storm to the southwest and to expect ILS runway 25L. Captain located and briefed the page for runway 25L. First officer set up ILS runway 25L in FMS. Controller then turned us to a downwind and said they were switching back to runway 7R (wind reported at 160/25). First officer set up ILS in FMS. Captain re-oriented himself to fly ILS runway 7R. Abeam marker on downwind we again switched runway to runway 08. First officer set up ILS runway 08 in FMS while captain located and briefed the page for ILS runway 08. By the time we were cleared for the ILS to runway 08; the wind at altitude was more like a tailwind at about 25 KTS and a low broken cloud layer obscured the field. Having spent most of my time programming the FMS; I was by this time in the yellow and moving into the red. The aircraft crossed the ILS final without intercepting. The captain was wondering (as was I) why it failed to intercept. A quick scan of the FMS and FCU revealed they appeared to be set up correctly. The captain called for gear down and flaps 3 and disconnected the autoplt to capture the ILS course. As we were passing inside the marker and I was switching to tower frequency; the speed was still high with thrust idle (tailwind on final) so the captain called for and executed a go-around. Upon completing the go-around we were vectored in sequence for the ILS runway 26. First officer again reprogrammed the FMS while captain re-oriented and briefed the approach. Tower was now calling the wind at about 210/23. Landed on runway 26 without incident. Runways 7R; 25L; 7R; 8; and 26 -- five approach briefings and FMS setups in about 15 minutes -- that's one about every 3 minutes. At one point when someone queried the controller as to what to expect; he replied with something like 'we're trying to figure out what we're doing.' all-in-all a busy day. The best thing that happened besides the landing on runway 26 was the real time go-around practice. Task saturation with several runway assignment changes. Confusion on the approach as to why the ILS course was not intercepted and aircraft failure to slow with the tailwind at altitude resulting in an unstable approach required a go-around. Changing conditions at the field and approach control apparently; from our view; unsure as to the proper course of action concerning which direction to use for landing resulting in four separate runway assignments (five including the original ATIS report).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW APCHING PHX COMPLETED FIVE APCH BRIEFINGS IN 15 MIN DUE TO CHANGING WX. A GAR WAS REQUIRED ON FIRST APCH DUE TO TAILWIND.

Narrative: CAPT WAS PF. FO WAS PNF. PHX ATIS WAS CALLING FOR ILS TO RWY 7R WHICH WAS BRIEFED AND SET UP IN FMS (WIND 140/7). ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH PHX APCH; NO RWY WAS ASSIGNED. APCH CTL LATER NOTIFIED US OF A RWY CHANGE IN PROGRESS DUE TO GUST FRONT APCHING FROM DISTANT STORM TO THE SW AND TO EXPECT ILS RWY 25L. CAPT LOCATED AND BRIEFED THE PAGE FOR RWY 25L. FO SET UP ILS RWY 25L IN FMS. CTLR THEN TURNED US TO A DOWNWIND AND SAID THEY WERE SWITCHING BACK TO RWY 7R (WIND RPTED AT 160/25). FO SET UP ILS IN FMS. CAPT RE-ORIENTED HIMSELF TO FLY ILS RWY 7R. ABEAM MARKER ON DOWNWIND WE AGAIN SWITCHED RWY TO RWY 08. FO SET UP ILS RWY 08 IN FMS WHILE CAPT LOCATED AND BRIEFED THE PAGE FOR ILS RWY 08. BY THE TIME WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 08; THE WIND AT ALTITUDE WAS MORE LIKE A TAILWIND AT ABOUT 25 KTS AND A LOW BROKEN CLOUD LAYER OBSCURED THE FIELD. HAVING SPENT MOST OF MY TIME PROGRAMMING THE FMS; I WAS BY THIS TIME IN THE YELLOW AND MOVING INTO THE RED. THE ACFT CROSSED THE ILS FINAL WITHOUT INTERCEPTING. THE CAPT WAS WONDERING (AS WAS I) WHY IT FAILED TO INTERCEPT. A QUICK SCAN OF THE FMS AND FCU REVEALED THEY APPEARED TO BE SET UP CORRECTLY. THE CAPT CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 3 AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT TO CAPTURE THE ILS COURSE. AS WE WERE PASSING INSIDE THE MARKER AND I WAS SWITCHING TO TOWER FREQ; THE SPEED WAS STILL HIGH WITH THRUST IDLE (TAILWIND ON FINAL) SO THE CAPT CALLED FOR AND EXECUTED A GO-AROUND. UPON COMPLETING THE GO-AROUND WE WERE VECTORED IN SEQUENCE FOR THE ILS RWY 26. FO AGAIN REPROGRAMMED THE FMS WHILE CAPT RE-ORIENTED AND BRIEFED THE APCH. TOWER WAS NOW CALLING THE WIND AT ABOUT 210/23. LANDED ON RWY 26 WITHOUT INCIDENT. RWYS 7R; 25L; 7R; 8; AND 26 -- FIVE APCH BRIEFINGS AND FMS SETUPS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES -- THAT'S ONE ABOUT EVERY 3 MINUTES. AT ONE POINT WHEN SOMEONE QUERIED THE CTLR AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT; HE REPLIED WITH SOMETHING LIKE 'WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.' ALL-IN-ALL A BUSY DAY. THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED BESIDES THE LNDG ON RWY 26 WAS THE REAL TIME GO-AROUND PRACTICE. TASK SATURATION WITH SEVERAL RWY ASSIGNMENT CHANGES. CONFUSION ON THE APCH AS TO WHY THE ILS COURSE WAS NOT INTERCEPTED AND ACFT FAILURE TO SLOW WITH THE TAILWIND AT ALTITUDE RESULTING IN AN UNSTABLE APCH REQUIRED A GO-AROUND. CHANGING CONDITIONS AT THE FIELD AND APCH CTL APPARENTLY; FROM OUR VIEW; UNSURE AS TO THE PROPER COURSE OF ACTION CONCERNING WHICH DIRECTION TO USE FOR LNDG RESULTING IN FOUR SEPARATE RWY ASSIGNMENTS (FIVE INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL ATIS REPORT).

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.