Narrative:

We were being vectored for a visual approach behind a company widebody transport which was turning final ahead of us. We were turned on final 4 mi behind the heavy approximately 7-8 mi from the airport at 5000'. We had the traffic and the airport but were reluctant to take over visually because we continued to close on the heavy and were becoming very high for landing. We were cleared to 4000', but were too close to the traffic. Approach moved the traffic to land on the inbound runway, but due to the prevailing winds and the position of our aircraft (4000' and 5 mi from the runway) I elected to go back out. In the process of having slowed the aircraft, dirtied it up (gear down, landing flaps), I lost 200' (to 3800') in the 180 degree turn back to north while cleaning up the aircraft. It was a poor handling job on spacing, putting us in the position of slowing the aircraft to a minimum speed with less than 4 mi spacing and being extremely high on final. The controller wanted us to take a visual and extricate himself from the situation which added to the confusion. A little more concentration on spacing earlier in the approach would have avoided this potentially hazardous situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN REQUIRED WAKE TURBULENCE SEPARATION BETWEEN HEAVY WDB AND TRAILING MLG ON APCH. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH BEHIND A COMPANY WDB WHICH WAS TURNING FINAL AHEAD OF US. WE WERE TURNED ON FINAL 4 MI BEHIND THE HVY APPROX 7-8 MI FROM THE ARPT AT 5000'. WE HAD THE TFC AND THE ARPT BUT WERE RELUCTANT TO TAKE OVER VISUALLY BECAUSE WE CONTINUED TO CLOSE ON THE HVY AND WERE BECOMING VERY HIGH FOR LNDG. WE WERE CLRED TO 4000', BUT WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE TFC. APCH MOVED THE TFC TO LAND ON THE INBND RWY, BUT DUE TO THE PREVAILING WINDS AND THE POS OF OUR ACFT (4000' AND 5 MI FROM THE RWY) I ELECTED TO GO BACK OUT. IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING SLOWED THE ACFT, DIRTIED IT UP (GEAR DOWN, LNDG FLAPS), I LOST 200' (TO 3800') IN THE 180 DEG TURN BACK TO N WHILE CLEANING UP THE ACFT. IT WAS A POOR HANDLING JOB ON SPACING, PUTTING US IN THE POS OF SLOWING THE ACFT TO A MINIMUM SPD WITH LESS THAN 4 MI SPACING AND BEING EXTREMELY HIGH ON FINAL. THE CTLR WANTED US TO TAKE A VISUAL AND EXTRICATE HIMSELF FROM THE SITUATION WHICH ADDED TO THE CONFUSION. A LITTLE MORE CONCENTRATION ON SPACING EARLIER IN THE APCH WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION.

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