Date: 201703
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: N90.TRACON, NY
Light: Night
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class B EWR
ATC / advisory: TRACON N90
Aircraft component: FMS/FMC
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Troubleshooting; Confusion
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Diverted
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: We were on NY Approach being vectored for ILS 4R to EWR. I noticed FMS 2 screen went dark. I called it out. As we were on final vector to intercept the ILS 4R we both noted that we were not yet receiving the LOC. We continued and began to receive indication. The approach was armed and continued. At this point we were still at 3000 ft. Then we lost LOC indication again. We advised ATC we needed to go missed due to loss of LOC signal. We had noted that no one else was having difficulty getting in. At this point we had plenty of fuel to perform another approach and continue to our ALT if we needed. We came back around to perform the second ILS attempt. The FMS 2 box would flash on for a couple of seconds and then went dark again. We were lined back up to intercept the LOC again and the same thing happened again. We went missed and advised we needed to go to our ALT. Halfway to [our alternate] we noted that we were starting to get low on fuel. ATC cleared us for the RNAV 4. As we were approaching the intercept for final ATC advised us that the previous aircraft experienced strong tailwinds down to; I think they said 100 ft. As we were approaching the final course I was waiting for the turn in and we never got it. So we turned the aircraft in and were working on rejoining the course and getting lower to begin the approach. At 2 miles out we were too high and went missed. At this point we were now fuel critical and advised ATC we needed vectors to 22 to avoid the strong tailwinds. Winds at the surface were only 4 knots. They vectored us around we loaded the RNAV 22 approach and started down. We broke out to the right of course but on the glideslope as indicated by the VASI and landed. When we parked the aircraft we had just over 900 lbs of fuel on board. The loss of FMS 2; the LOC; the weather conditions at both EWR and [our alternate]; as well as the winds on final at were definitely all threats. Well; looking back; given the chance again; I would have gone to our alternate immediately after our first missed at EWR. We had FMS 2 down; LOC out and poor weather conditions. None of these items work in our favor.




Synopsis: First Officer reported an FMS and localizer failure resulting in two missed approaches and a diversion to the alternate. Fuel became an issue and the third approach resulted in another go-around due to an unstabilized approach caused by tailwinds. The fourth attempt was successful; arriving at the gate with 900 pounds of fuel.