Narrative:

The captain was making a coupled ILS approach, when at the OM the autoplt started to porpoise and the flight director biased out of view. He disconnected the autoplt but by that time he was above the GS and started to get behind the airplane. In trying to get back on the GS he seemed to get further behind even thought he flight engineer and I were advising him of what we were observing in regards to the approach. After seeing that he would not be able to continue the approach, I advised the tower that we were going around. Following the go around procedure which was also given to us by the tower, the captain did not level off at go around altitude, (he was told at least 4 times about approaching the altitude and the altitude excursion), instead he leveled off 1000 ft above the missed approach altitude. He asked me, to ask for 3000 ft instead of the 2,000 ft in the missed approach procedure. I think that this was caused by a multitude of reasons: the captain apparently being tired. He was not mentally prepared for an in-flight abnormal condition (autoplt and flight director). He got behind the airplane. And when he elected to continue, he could not get the aircraft within the parameters for a normal approach. Once he started the missed approach he needed to be told everything. He admitted later that he thought he would be better off at 3000 ft because of the terrain even though he knew that we were at a safe altitude following the missed approach procedures. He also stated that he just got behind the airplane and attributed it to being tired. I think to prevent a recurrence of this: know the missed approach procedures. Probably the most important is to let your crew know that you are tired and certainly consider letting the other pilot fly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ON COUPLED APCH HAS AUTOPLT PROBS, MAKES MISSED APCH. CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS MAKING A COUPLED ILS APCH, WHEN AT THE OM THE AUTOPLT STARTED TO PORPOISE AND THE FLT DIRECTOR BIASED OUT OF VIEW. HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT BUT BY THAT TIME HE WAS ABOVE THE GS AND STARTED TO GET BEHIND THE AIRPLANE. IN TRYING TO GET BACK ON THE GS HE SEEMED TO GET FURTHER BEHIND EVEN THOUGHT HE FE AND I WERE ADVISING HIM OF WHAT WE WERE OBSERVING IN REGARDS TO THE APCH. AFTER SEEING THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE APCH, I ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND. FOLLOWING THE GAR PROC WHICH WAS ALSO GIVEN TO US BY THE TWR, THE CAPT DID NOT LEVEL OFF AT GAR ALT, (HE WAS TOLD AT LEAST 4 TIMES ABOUT APCHING THE ALT AND THE ALT EXCURSION), INSTEAD HE LEVELED OFF 1000 FT ABOVE THE MISSED APCH ALT. HE ASKED ME, TO ASK FOR 3000 FT INSTEAD OF THE 2,000 FT IN THE MISSED APCH PROC. I THINK THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MULTITUDE OF REASONS: THE CAPT APPARENTLY BEING TIRED. HE WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR AN INFLT ABNORMAL CONDITION (AUTOPLT AND FLT DIRECTOR). HE GOT BEHIND THE AIRPLANE. AND WHEN HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE, HE COULD NOT GET THE ACFT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS FOR A NORMAL APCH. ONCE HE STARTED THE MISSED APCH HE NEEDED TO BE TOLD EVERYTHING. HE ADMITTED LATER THAT HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE BETTER OFF AT 3000 FT BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW THAT WE WERE AT A SAFE ALT FOLLOWING THE MISSED APCH PROCS. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE JUST GOT BEHIND THE AIRPLANE AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO BEING TIRED. I THINK TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS: KNOW THE MISSED APCH PROCS. PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT IS TO LET YOUR CREW KNOW THAT YOU ARE TIRED AND CERTAINLY CONSIDER LETTING THE OTHER PLT FLY.

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.