Narrative:

The flight from clt to mia had been completely routine and the WX in mia was good with broken clouds at 2000 ft and good visibility underneath. First officer was flying aircraft and mia approach control was vectoring us for an approach to runway 27R. First officer began slowing and configuring aircraft about 15 mi north, as per normal. Aircraft was on autoplt. Approach control gave us a late turn to intercept the ILS runway 27R and autoplt did not intercept localizer. While attempting to rejoin localizer (using heading bug) from the south, GS intercept was also not made. When localizer was recaptured, the aircraft was too high on the GS to make a normal approach and landing, so a go around was accomplished. A normal approach and landing was subsequently accomplished. What really impressed me with this event was just how quickly things can go from completely routine (read: benign) to completely out-of-hand (read: dangerous). In the space of less than 2 mins, we went from a normal flight to a completely unstabilized approach, while no doubt intruding on airspace for the runway 30 approachs. Being on autoplt hindered rather than helped, I believe, but my company encourages its use, due to its recognized capabilities. I think the first officer's reliance on the autoplt caused a lack of situational awareness, resulting in the start of the 'snowball rolling down the mountain.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR TWIN JET MAKES A LATE TURN ON THE LOC RWY 27R, OVERSHOOTS AND GETS INTO A DESTABILIZED APCH SIT 7 MI E OF MIA, FL.

Narrative: THE FLT FROM CLT TO MIA HAD BEEN COMPLETELY ROUTINE AND THE WX IN MIA WAS GOOD WITH BROKEN CLOUDS AT 2000 FT AND GOOD VISIBILITY UNDERNEATH. FO WAS FLYING ACFT AND MIA APCH CTL WAS VECTORING US FOR AN APCH TO RWY 27R. FO BEGAN SLOWING AND CONFIGURING ACFT ABOUT 15 MI N, AS PER NORMAL. ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT. APCH CTL GAVE US A LATE TURN TO INTERCEPT THE ILS RWY 27R AND AUTOPLT DID NOT INTERCEPT LOC. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REJOIN LOC (USING HDG BUG) FROM THE S, GS INTERCEPT WAS ALSO NOT MADE. WHEN LOC WAS RECAPTURED, THE ACFT WAS TOO HIGH ON THE GS TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG, SO A GAR WAS ACCOMPLISHED. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ACCOMPLISHED. WHAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME WITH THIS EVENT WAS JUST HOW QUICKLY THINGS CAN GO FROM COMPLETELY ROUTINE (READ: BENIGN) TO COMPLETELY OUT-OF-HAND (READ: DANGEROUS). IN THE SPACE OF LESS THAN 2 MINS, WE WENT FROM A NORMAL FLT TO A COMPLETELY UNSTABILIZED APCH, WHILE NO DOUBT INTRUDING ON AIRSPACE FOR THE RWY 30 APCHS. BEING ON AUTOPLT HINDERED RATHER THAN HELPED, I BELIEVE, BUT MY COMPANY ENCOURAGES ITS USE, DUE TO ITS RECOGNIZED CAPABILITIES. I THINK THE FO'S RELIANCE ON THE AUTOPLT CAUSED A LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, RESULTING IN THE START OF THE 'SNOWBALL ROLLING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.'

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.