B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Weather; Procedure
Simple flight to LAS; no problem; nice weather both ends; short flight. We took off; busy; but no problems. I got the LAS ATIS. Winds were 190/8 landing Runway 7R and 19L. We were planning on 25L. I vaguely remember 7R being a pain and a quick check of the box proved me to be correct. The only approach was not in our approach plates. So a visual approach over sloping terrain; again no problem. I asked Center what way they were landing as our arrival was designed to land Runway 25L. They did not know; Approach confirmed [Runway] 7R. Everything was fine until we contacted Tower. Winds 240/14G18; cleared to land [Runway] 7R. I asked the Controller to confirm the winds. The Controller repeated the same winds; with no concern at all despite all the aircraft that can or will not land with tailwind greater than 10 KTS. I looked at the winds 1;000 AGL we had an 18 KT tailwind. We executed a go around as did another flight behind us. With no approach loaded; there was no missed approach. So we got visual vectors to [Runway] 19L which were short. We were kept very busy trying to follow their directions. The final insult was being told to maintain 1;300 AGL to 3 DME for helicopter traffic. I told them we were unable and they made the helicopter hold for us. We landed taxied clear. After clearing Runway 19L; I was finally able to get a word in edgewise to Ground. We were given taxi instructions and despite having the taxi chart out we still turned on the wrong taxiway due to the unfamiliarity of the Captain and poor signage at our intersection. We stopped; I contacted Ground with our error and we were given further taxi instructions with instruction to contact ramp. We were in complete control and very conservative in our decision making. Suggestions; LAS Tower unwilling to switch the runways when it was obvious it was required. Tower was fine with us landing with winds out of limits. When we landed the windsock was parallel to the ground out of the west south west. LAS Tower with all the aircraft that land there knows the wind limits for a 737-700 NG as well as other. They should have been more proactive.
LAS Air Carrier arrival voiced a complaint regarding ATC's runway assignment noting the tail wind factor that caused a go around.