Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240; Flight Crew Total 16000; Flight Crew Type 11000
Fatigue; Workload; Situational Awareness; Physiological - Other; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Human Factors
We were flying the all-nighter from the West Coast to JFK. JFK was configured for the ILS TO Runway 4L. Winds all night were 050/12. As we started our descent along the Lindy arrival; JFK swapped runways to the VOR 13L Canarsie. I asked the Controller on 125.7 on three separate occasions to shoot an ILS to Runway 31L as international carriers were landing on it still; so I asked for ILS to Runway 4L and that was denied!We were both tired from the all-nighter and wanted an ILS. There was weather; wind and rain. As we passed DMYHL at 800 FT the winds were northwest at 18 KTS. I instructed my First Officer to tell me to go-around if the FMS PROG 2 page showed more than 10 KTS at 200 FT AGL. As it turned out; the winds diminished and we were able to land with no incident. We were very close to the stable approach criteria.I called JFK Tower by phone and expressed my concerns. The Controller told me that the arrival is generated by EWR/LGA arrivals. I told him about the winds at DMYHL and he commiserated; but offered no relief for the future!I have been flying into and out of JFK for 27 years and I am tired of flying a STUPID visual approach when there are ILS approaches available; winds are marginal; AND WHEN WE ARE EXHAUSTED FROM FLYING AN ALL-NIGHTER! There is absolutely NO REASON for us having to fly the Canarsie VOR 13L at that hour of the day! I will use my emergency authority to get my ILS AND; I will divert if this happens again! I'm really getting tired of this!
A fatigued Air Carrier Captain complained that after an all-night flight; JFK controllers issued a VOR 13L Canarsie approach and would not relent to the crew's request for a Runway 4L because of more favorable winds.