Narrative:

Both the captain and I were new to the aircraft, but not new to glass cockpits. The captain was PF and we were being vectored for final approach at ord and WX was VFR. We were told to expect a turn to base leg in 3 mi, but received a turn in less than 1 mi. Our position was 2 mi outside the marker and this put us 2000' high. The captain with low experience in the aircraft was slow in configuring aircraft and we were trying to slow down and go down, which lead to an unstabilized final approach. We received a clearance to land behind an aircraft which was landing ahead of us. Our speed on final was about 40 KTS higher than target speed, which narrowed the gap unexpectedly to ATC between ourselves and the preceding landing aircraft. Below 500' we were still unstabilized and I mentioned that we were 700 fast and an aircraft was still on the runway and had not cleared yet. The captain initiated the go around at 20' due to: 1) unstabilized aircraft, and 2) the preceding landing aircraft missed the high speed turnoff and was going to the end of the runway. We could not determine if that aircraft was going to clear. I should have been more forceful and exercised stronger clear to have the captain initiate the go around earlier. We executed the missed approach, given a vector and climb to 4000'. We leveled at 4000'. The captain was hand-flying the aircraft and we received a frequency change and I was setting up the approach when I heard the altitude alert go off. I looked up and saw we were at 4330' and the captain was not correcting. I yelled altitude and, 'let's get back to 4000.' ATC did not inquire about our altitude or mention that there was a conflict. Remainder of approach and landing was normal. The captain should have had the autoplt on so as to relieve the cockpit workload. On the missed approach while level at 4000' we were being vectored in for a closer approach, which meant my attention had to be heads down for just a few seconds to tune radios and this just happened to coincide with the altitude deviation. This heads down period was due to normal radio tuning, not FMC programming. The quicker than expected turn on at ord is not uncommon and should have been manageable if configured properly early enough. This would have stabilized the approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNSTABILIZED APCH LEADS TO A GO AROUND.

Narrative: BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE NEW TO THE ACFT, BUT NOT NEW TO GLASS COCKPITS. THE CAPT WAS PF AND WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR FINAL APCH AT ORD AND WX WAS VFR. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A TURN TO BASE LEG IN 3 MI, BUT RECEIVED A TURN IN LESS THAN 1 MI. OUR POS WAS 2 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER AND THIS PUT US 2000' HIGH. THE CAPT WITH LOW EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT WAS SLOW IN CONFIGURING ACFT AND WE WERE TRYING TO SLOW DOWN AND GO DOWN, WHICH LEAD TO AN UNSTABILIZED FINAL APCH. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND BEHIND AN ACFT WHICH WAS LNDG AHEAD OF US. OUR SPD ON FINAL WAS ABOUT 40 KTS HIGHER THAN TARGET SPD, WHICH NARROWED THE GAP UNEXPECTEDLY TO ATC BTWN OURSELVES AND THE PRECEDING LNDG ACFT. BELOW 500' WE WERE STILL UNSTABILIZED AND I MENTIONED THAT WE WERE 700 FAST AND AN ACFT WAS STILL ON THE RWY AND HAD NOT CLRED YET. THE CAPT INITIATED THE GAR AT 20' DUE TO: 1) UNSTABILIZED ACFT, AND 2) THE PRECEDING LNDG ACFT MISSED THE HIGH SPD TURNOFF AND WAS GOING TO THE END OF THE RWY. WE COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THAT ACFT WAS GOING TO CLR. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FORCEFUL AND EXERCISED STRONGER CLR TO HAVE THE CAPT INITIATE THE GAR EARLIER. WE EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH, GIVEN A VECTOR AND CLB TO 4000'. WE LEVELED AT 4000'. THE CAPT WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT AND WE RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE AND I WAS SETTING UP THE APCH WHEN I HEARD THE ALT ALERT GO OFF. I LOOKED UP AND SAW WE WERE AT 4330' AND THE CAPT WAS NOT CORRECTING. I YELLED ALT AND, 'LET'S GET BACK TO 4000.' ATC DID NOT INQUIRE ABOUT OUR ALT OR MENTION THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT. REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG WAS NORMAL. THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE HAD THE AUTOPLT ON SO AS TO RELIEVE THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD. ON THE MISSED APCH WHILE LEVEL AT 4000' WE WERE BEING VECTORED IN FOR A CLOSER APCH, WHICH MEANT MY ATTN HAD TO BE HEADS DOWN FOR JUST A FEW SECS TO TUNE RADIOS AND THIS JUST HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH THE ALT DEVIATION. THIS HEADS DOWN PERIOD WAS DUE TO NORMAL RADIO TUNING, NOT FMC PROGRAMMING. THE QUICKER THAN EXPECTED TURN ON AT ORD IS NOT UNCOMMON AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MANAGEABLE IF CONFIGURED PROPERLY EARLY ENOUGH. THIS WOULD HAVE STABILIZED THE APCH.

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.