Narrative:

On approach to runway xxc we were cleared a visual. Another carrier was also cleared a visual for runway xxr; they were 2 mi behind us. We had them in sight. After turning final; I selected A111 mode to fly a practice A111 approach as briefed. At about 1500 ft as I was about to call flaps 30 degrees; I received a TCAS command to climb immediately followed by a command to descend. I looked at the TCAS as I descended and saw a red mark at my position on altitude. I descended and offset to the west on my own since I was not sure if the other aircraft was above or below. After offsetting about 200 ft we saw that the other aircraft was even with us and about to pass. I called tower and reported my conflicting TCAS instructions. They reported that all was correct. I reported that the other carrier was passing us; at which time the aircraft seemed to pitch up its nose and correct back. About this time I asked the first officer if we were cleared to land. Before he could answer we got a too low flaps call. The first officer commanded a go around and I accomplished the go around. We had never finished configuring or run the before landing checklist. In addition; I do not remember passing 1000 ft. After the go around and landing; I called the tower. I felt the other carrier lost us in the sun and either overshot the runway and came up under us; or their closure was so great on final that the TCAS detected an impending collision. Tower; however; felt that all was safe and operations normal from their perspective. I asked if we had 500 ft of separation and they assured me that the runways afford 800 ft of separation. They also said that a TCAS RA is not uncommon on this approach; and that crews in the past selected TA to avoid the problem. I think that after the initial TCAS RA; I should have gone around. The climb and descend direction without the conflict in sight caused me to offset; descend and continue the approach while trying to find and keep the other carrier in sight. This led to the too low flaps call which finally caused us to go around. Supplemental information from acn 794784: at this time I told the captain the other carrier was clear and told the tower we had received an RA from this aircraft and we almost had to go around. I then looked at the altimeter and saw we were passing 400 ft AGL. I realized I was behind the normal pace and started scanning to see if we had missed anything. At that time we got the 'too low flaps' warning; and I directed a go around. In my opinion; the other carrier lost sight of us or misjudged his closure on us which caused the TCAS to give an RA. If he would have remained at his 2.5 mi trail; we would have flown a normal uneventful approach. The RA distraction us and disrupted our normal approach flow. We should have just gone around at the first RA preventing us getting any lower and possibly landing in the wrong confign. However; the root cause is the other carrier failed to maintain his trail spacing while landing on a closely spaced parallel runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW EXECUTED A GAR AT 400 FT AFTER A TCAS RA DISTRACTION ON FINAL LED TO A FLAP LNDG CONFIGURATION ERROR.

Narrative: ON APCH TO RWY XXC WE WERE CLRED A VISUAL. ANOTHER CARRIER WAS ALSO CLRED A VISUAL FOR RWY XXR; THEY WERE 2 MI BEHIND US. WE HAD THEM IN SIGHT. AFTER TURNING FINAL; I SELECTED A111 MODE TO FLY A PRACTICE A111 APCH AS BRIEFED. AT ABOUT 1500 FT AS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL FLAPS 30 DEGS; I RECEIVED A TCAS COMMAND TO CLB IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A COMMAND TO DSND. I LOOKED AT THE TCAS AS I DSNDED AND SAW A RED MARK AT MY POS ON ALT. I DSNDED AND OFFSET TO THE W ON MY OWN SINCE I WAS NOT SURE IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS ABOVE OR BELOW. AFTER OFFSETTING ABOUT 200 FT WE SAW THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS EVEN WITH US AND ABOUT TO PASS. I CALLED TWR AND RPTED MY CONFLICTING TCAS INSTRUCTIONS. THEY RPTED THAT ALL WAS CORRECT. I RPTED THAT THE OTHER CARRIER WAS PASSING US; AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT SEEMED TO PITCH UP ITS NOSE AND CORRECT BACK. ABOUT THIS TIME I ASKED THE FO IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. BEFORE HE COULD ANSWER WE GOT A TOO LOW FLAPS CALL. THE FO COMMANDED A GAR AND I ACCOMPLISHED THE GAR. WE HAD NEVER FINISHED CONFIGURING OR RUN THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. IN ADDITION; I DO NOT REMEMBER PASSING 1000 FT. AFTER THE GAR AND LNDG; I CALLED THE TWR. I FELT THE OTHER CARRIER LOST US IN THE SUN AND EITHER OVERSHOT THE RWY AND CAME UP UNDER US; OR THEIR CLOSURE WAS SO GREAT ON FINAL THAT THE TCAS DETECTED AN IMPENDING COLLISION. TWR; HOWEVER; FELT THAT ALL WAS SAFE AND OPS NORMAL FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. I ASKED IF WE HAD 500 FT OF SEPARATION AND THEY ASSURED ME THAT THE RWYS AFFORD 800 FT OF SEPARATION. THEY ALSO SAID THAT A TCAS RA IS NOT UNCOMMON ON THIS APCH; AND THAT CREWS IN THE PAST SELECTED TA TO AVOID THE PROB. I THINK THAT AFTER THE INITIAL TCAS RA; I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND. THE CLB AND DSND DIRECTION WITHOUT THE CONFLICT IN SIGHT CAUSED ME TO OFFSET; DSND AND CONTINUE THE APCH WHILE TRYING TO FIND AND KEEP THE OTHER CARRIER IN SIGHT. THIS LED TO THE TOO LOW FLAPS CALL WHICH FINALLY CAUSED US TO GO AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 794784: AT THIS TIME I TOLD THE CAPT THE OTHER CARRIER WAS CLR AND TOLD THE TWR WE HAD RECEIVED AN RA FROM THIS ACFT AND WE ALMOST HAD TO GO AROUND. I THEN LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND SAW WE WERE PASSING 400 FT AGL. I REALIZED I WAS BEHIND THE NORMAL PACE AND STARTED SCANNING TO SEE IF WE HAD MISSED ANYTHING. AT THAT TIME WE GOT THE 'TOO LOW FLAPS' WARNING; AND I DIRECTED A GAR. IN MY OPINION; THE OTHER CARRIER LOST SIGHT OF US OR MISJUDGED HIS CLOSURE ON US WHICH CAUSED THE TCAS TO GIVE AN RA. IF HE WOULD HAVE REMAINED AT HIS 2.5 MI TRAIL; WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL APCH. THE RA DISTR US AND DISRUPTED OUR NORMAL APCH FLOW. WE SHOULD HAVE JUST GONE AROUND AT THE FIRST RA PREVENTING US GETTING ANY LOWER AND POSSIBLY LNDG IN THE WRONG CONFIGN. HOWEVER; THE ROOT CAUSE IS THE OTHER CARRIER FAILED TO MAINTAIN HIS TRAIL SPACING WHILE LNDG ON A CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.