S80 CREW CONCERNED OVER NEW ACR POLICY OF NOT RPTING TFC ON APPROACHES EVEN WHEN REQUESTED BY TWR. THIS INCIDENT IN DEN RESULTED IN TWR DIRECTING A GO AROUND.

Narrative

ON FINAL TO RWY 16. WHILE ON A NIGHT VISUAL TO RWY 16 AT DEN; ATC KEPT ASKING ME IF WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT WHICH WAS ON FINAL TO RWY 16. WE WERE ON A R BASE AND THE FO WAS FLYING. I SAW THE RWY AND THE TFC; BUT ONLY RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT IN LIGHT OF THE NEW CHANGE IN PART ONE; SECTION 10 CONCERNING NIGHT VISUAL APPROACHES. TO ME THE NEW POLICY DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO RPT TFC OR ACCEPT A VISUAL BASED ONLY ON TFC. EVENTFULLY THE CTLR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL BUT KEPT ON ASKING IF WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER HIS THIRD OR FOURTH TRY; I FINALLY TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD A POLICY WHICH DID NOT ALLOW ME TO CALL TFC; BUT AGAIN WE SEE THE RWY. HE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT LOST SEPARATION AND MADE US GO AROUND. WE WERE FLYING AT 170 KIAS AS INSTRUCTED. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND CALLED TO TWR CHIEF AFTER PARKING. HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T CALL THE TFC AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HAD BEEN SENT AROUND. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD OVER 4 MI SEPARATION BETWEEN US AND THE B757 IN FRONT. HE ALSO SAID THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SENT AROUND IF WE HAD CALLED THE TFC. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WAKE TURB SEPARATION SHOULD BE THE SAME IF WE ARE VISUAL OR IFR. DISCUSSED ALL OF THIS WITH A CHIEF IN ORD AND HE AGREED WITH MY JUDGEMENT AND SAID THAT MAYBE THE NEW CHANGE IS RESTRICTIVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THE ACR POLICY STANDS; BUT CONSIDERS THAT WITH THE AID OF THE CHIEF PLT AND RELATED FAA PERSONNEL; THAT THE POLICY WILL SOON BE REVISED TO A LESS RESTRICTIVE PROC. HE STATES A CONCERN OVER THE IMPLIED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAKE TURB SEPARATION WHEN 'CLEARED FOR A VISUAL' WHEN FOLLOWING SIGHTED TFC AND SEPARATION WHEN REMAINING IMC. HE POINTS OUT THAT THE ACR IS TRYING TO SAY THAT BY RPTING TFC; THE RPTR ACFT HAS NO OBSTACLE CLRNC PROTECTION. MORE PRECISELY GIVES UP THAT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY ATC WHILE OPERATING IN IMC RULES. HE FURTHER STATES THAT HE IS CONFIDENT THAT THE POLICY WILL BE CHANGED TO A MORE MODERATE ONE. HE DOES NOT KNOW; NOR WILL HE BE INVOLVED IN THE WORDING OF THE MODIFICATION.