Narrative:

We were on passenger flight from tpe to nrt. First officer flying. First officer elected to do an automatic-land and I had no objection. WX was cavu and light winds. Everything was normal until about 8 ft. I was so complacent I was waiting for the wheels to kiss on. The aircraft flared, then a smooth, very slow continuous pitch up occurred. The first officer was trying to override the autoplt rather than disconnect it. At this time I wasn't sure what was happening as I saw the first officer having an amazed look on his face, thinking I was doing something. At any rate we were now about 20 ft up, nose high and decreasing airspeed. I literally slammed the throttle lever forward, initiating a go around. As I felt not enough cement was left to recover from the position I was in. Nrt tower queried the reason for the go around and my response was 'we flared high and I felt I had to.' no other questions or comments were made to ATC about the reason for the go around. Runway 34 in nrt is not a CAT ii or CAT III and I neglected to notify the tower of our automatic-land only because the WX was no factor and the operation was so routine. In retrospect, it appears that the aircraft waiting to line up did in fact interfere with the glide path transmitter and our receiver. A log book entry was made and the 747-400 chief pilot is checking the history of the aircraft. It really wasn't a problem but I was so 'laid back' and expecting entirely different results. It could have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AUTOPLT FLARES BUT FLOATS AND BALLOONS RATHER THAN AUTO- LNDG AS EXPECTED REQUIRING THE CAPT TO GAR.

Narrative: WE WERE ON PAX FLT FROM TPE TO NRT. FO FLYING. FO ELECTED TO DO AN AUTO-LAND AND I HAD NO OBJECTION. WX WAS CAVU AND LIGHT WINDS. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 8 FT. I WAS SO COMPLACENT I WAS WAITING FOR THE WHEELS TO KISS ON. THE ACFT FLARED, THEN A SMOOTH, VERY SLOW CONTINUOUS PITCH UP OCCURRED. THE FO WAS TRYING TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOPLT RATHER THAN DISCONNECT IT. AT THIS TIME I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AS I SAW THE FO HAVING AN AMAZED LOOK ON HIS FACE, THINKING I WAS DOING SOMETHING. AT ANY RATE WE WERE NOW ABOUT 20 FT UP, NOSE HIGH AND DECREASING AIRSPD. I LITERALLY SLAMMED THE THROTTLE LEVER FORWARD, INITIATING A GAR. AS I FELT NOT ENOUGH CEMENT WAS LEFT TO RECOVER FROM THE POS I WAS IN. NRT TWR QUERIED THE REASON FOR THE GAR AND MY RESPONSE WAS 'WE FLARED HIGH AND I FELT I HAD TO.' NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WERE MADE TO ATC ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE GAR. RWY 34 IN NRT IS NOT A CAT II OR CAT III AND I NEGLECTED TO NOTIFY THE TWR OF OUR AUTO-LAND ONLY BECAUSE THE WX WAS NO FACTOR AND THE OP WAS SO ROUTINE. IN RETROSPECT, IT APPEARS THAT THE ACFT WAITING TO LINE UP DID IN FACT INTERFERE WITH THE GLIDE PATH XMITTER AND OUR RECEIVER. A LOG BOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND THE 747-400 CHIEF PLT IS CHKING THE HISTORY OF THE ACFT. IT REALLY WASN'T A PROB BUT I WAS SO 'LAID BACK' AND EXPECTING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT RESULTS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.