B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airport; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
My observations [as a Check Airman] on the jumpseat. We were cleared for the visual to Runway 22 in ELP; maintain 6;000 FT until joining final for traffic at Biggs [BIF AFB; just north of ELP]. BIF taxiway and runway lights were on full bright for some reason (very distracting to me). ELP's lights were normal. I kept looking for traffic at BIF but did not see anyone. The ELP Runway 22 was in a black hole behind BIF's bright lights. By complying with the 6;000 FT until final; we were high (high enough that we were not stable by 1;000 FT and following our procedures we went around). I was watching the crew reconfiguring the aircraft; changing flap settings and setting speeds; and discussing what altitude and headings to fly. ATC; I think asked; if we needed vectors or [to] fly the pattern and the crew stated they could fly the pattern. We turned to the left and got a Traffic Alert. The Captain questioned the alert with the Tower. I knew BIF was to our right and had traffic and high terrain was also to our right. I was not aware of any other traffic at ELP; only traffic at BIF. I do not recall any ATC clearance for traffic '...fly heading... maintain... altitude.' I thought we were just to turn left enter a left downwind to [Runway] 22. The crew re-entered the runway into the CDU. We flew the pattern; landed on [Runway] 22; and taxied to the gate. BIF's lights were still full bright and distracting making it hard to see ELP Runway 22. ATC did not mention anything about any possible violation.
I was the pilot not flying. We were flying on a visual approach to Runway 22 approaching from the northwest. On our initial approach; we were left high by Air Traffic Control in order to avoid BIF traffic and subsequently became high on our visual approach. After determining we were too high for a safe landing; the Captain decided to initiate a go-around. Around that time; we received a Traffic Alert on TCAS; which did not become a factor. We also realized there was confusion about which runway we were setting up for. We were setting up for a downwind to 22 while the Tower Controller expected us to fly a downwind to 26L. We set up for a downwind to 22 because that seemed the logical thing to do (perform a downwind to the runway we were initially set up for). To my recollection as well; Runway 22 is the normal landing runway in El Paso and it would have been out of the ordinary; to me; to land on 26L.
While conducting a visual approach to ELP Runway 22 a B737 was kept high by ATC for traffic inbound to the adjacent BIF AFB. A missed approach was initiated when they were unable to achieve required stabilized approach criteria during which a TCAS TA occurred.