Narrative:

I am new to this aircraft with 2 months operating experience. My first officer, who was flying the aircraft, was on his first flight and first leg after his IOE. We were being vectored for an ILS runway 35L. The first officer was hand flying the aircraft and was doing a real nice job. We were turned on final approach outside the FAF, slightly above the GS. The approach mode was armed for both flight directors. We were assigned 190 KTS until the FAF. The flight directors captured the localizer, and the pitch was in the altitude hold mode. At this point we were out of GS capture range for the flight directors. The first officer did not notice that he was high on the GS until I told him he was high and needed to start down now in order to capture the GS and get stabilized on the approach. He started down for a short time then leveled off stating the flight director showed a fly up command. At that point I selected vertical speed to get him going back down to capture the GS. At this point I became very busy trying to call the tower and doing the final descent checklist, knowing at this point we would not be in a position to continue the approach. We came out of the clouds about 1400 ft AGL, and just as I thought we were too high and fast to continue the approach and land, I allowed the approach to continue to 660 ft AGL. At that point I also noticed an aircraft just turning off the runway onto a taxiway. All things being as they were, I told the first officer to go around and notified the tower that we were going around. (This I think was my first communication with the tower.) we were vectored for another approach and landed without any other problems. The first officer stated he was confused by his flight director commands and was concerned about getting slowed down, and did not notice the raw data GS indications. I became somewhat task saturated with all of the PNF duties, communication, and monitoring the aircraft operation. I knew we were going to be high and fast and would not permit an approach below 500 ft AGL, our company's lowest altitude for a non stabilized, or land without a landing clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR A320 FLC FOUND THEMSELVES HIGH AND TOO FAST WHILE ON FINAL APCH AND WISELY DECIDED TO EXECUTE A GAR.

Narrative: I AM NEW TO THIS ACFT WITH 2 MONTHS OPERATING EXPERIENCE. MY FO, WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT, WAS ON HIS FIRST FLT AND FIRST LEG AFTER HIS IOE. WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 35L. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND WAS DOING A REAL NICE JOB. WE WERE TURNED ON FINAL APCH OUTSIDE THE FAF, SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE GS. THE APCH MODE WAS ARMED FOR BOTH FLT DIRECTORS. WE WERE ASSIGNED 190 KTS UNTIL THE FAF. THE FLT DIRECTORS CAPTURED THE LOC, AND THE PITCH WAS IN THE ALT HOLD MODE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE OUT OF GS CAPTURE RANGE FOR THE FLT DIRECTORS. THE FO DID NOT NOTICE THAT HE WAS HIGH ON THE GS UNTIL I TOLD HIM HE WAS HIGH AND NEEDED TO START DOWN NOW IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE GS AND GET STABILIZED ON THE APCH. HE STARTED DOWN FOR A SHORT TIME THEN LEVELED OFF STATING THE FLT DIRECTOR SHOWED A FLY UP COMMAND. AT THAT POINT I SELECTED VERT SPD TO GET HIM GOING BACK DOWN TO CAPTURE THE GS. AT THIS POINT I BECAME VERY BUSY TRYING TO CALL THE TWR AND DOING THE FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST, KNOWING AT THIS POINT WE WOULD NOT BE IN A POS TO CONTINUE THE APCH. WE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS ABOUT 1400 FT AGL, AND JUST AS I THOUGHT WE WERE TOO HIGH AND FAST TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND LAND, I ALLOWED THE APCH TO CONTINUE TO 660 FT AGL. AT THAT POINT I ALSO NOTICED AN ACFT JUST TURNING OFF THE RWY ONTO A TXWY. ALL THINGS BEING AS THEY WERE, I TOLD THE FO TO GO AROUND AND NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND. (THIS I THINK WAS MY FIRST COM WITH THE TWR.) WE WERE VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBS. THE FO STATED HE WAS CONFUSED BY HIS FLT DIRECTOR COMMANDS AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING SLOWED DOWN, AND DID NOT NOTICE THE RAW DATA GS INDICATIONS. I BECAME SOMEWHAT TASK SATURATED WITH ALL OF THE PNF DUTIES, COM, AND MONITORING THE ACFT OP. I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE HIGH AND FAST AND WOULD NOT PERMIT AN APCH BELOW 500 FT AGL, OUR COMPANY'S LOWEST ALT FOR A NON STABILIZED, OR LAND WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC.

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.