Date: 201403
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ELP.Airport, TX
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class C ELP
ATC / advisory: TRACON ELP
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Check Pilot; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Distraction; Confusion
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Detector: Automation Aircraft TA; Person Flight Crew
When detected: Routine Inspection
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Contributing factors: Airport; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: 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.


Second narrative: 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.


Synopsis: 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.