Narrative:

I was flying as first officer from eddf-atl. Approach told us to keep our speed up coming in for the arrival. I started feeling 'behind' as we were at 9000 ft on downwind and the usual turn-on altitude is 3000-5000 ft. The captain made things worse by constantly saying 'you're doing fine' -- 'looking good.' the controller unexpectedly cleared us for a right turn 'direct legro (IAF ILS runway 26R), cleared to intercept, cleared for the approach.' I asked for the gear down immediately as we turned base passing through 7500 ft. Captain said 'you're fine' as we intercepted localizer. Haze was so bad I couldn't make out airport but I sensed we wouldn't be able to 'catch up.' I finally saw the airport at about 2 mi and we were way too high to even consider salvaging the approach approximately 9000 ft. I stated that we were executing 'missed' to the captain but he was far from aggressive in trying to get a radio call off. At this point I leveled off at missed altitude of 3500 ft and realized that we were about to pass over the departure end of runway 26R at that altitude and might be a conflict for traffic departing on runway 26L. I initiated right turn to 360 degrees and saw that we would need a further right turn to get on atl 360 degree radial. Finally, captain got through and we received vectors for subsequent approach. Findings: I realized that I erred on my own situational awareness and let a captain further 'lure' me into sense of 'false security' in lieu of analyzing my chances of a successful approach. In retrospect, I should have refused the clearance and descended on downwind. Furthermore, once high on final I should have realized missed approach was imminent and reviewed procedure better and obtained clearance earlier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT BEING VECTORED DOWNWIND FOR APCH WAS KEPT HIGH FOR NORMAL PROFILE. PF, FO WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL ALT BUT CAPT KEPT REASSURING HIM THAT IT WAS FINE. AFTER BEING TURNED IN FOR THE FINAL APCH RPTR REALIZED THEY WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE A STABILIZED APCH AND INITIATED A GAR. COM WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION, BUT FINALLY THE FLC WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE VECTORS FROM APCH CTL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS FO FROM EDDF-ATL. APCH TOLD US TO KEEP OUR SPD UP COMING IN FOR THE ARR. I STARTED FEELING 'BEHIND' AS WE WERE AT 9000 FT ON DOWNWIND AND THE USUAL TURN-ON ALT IS 3000-5000 FT. THE CAPT MADE THINGS WORSE BY CONSTANTLY SAYING 'YOU'RE DOING FINE' -- 'LOOKING GOOD.' THE CTLR UNEXPECTEDLY CLRED US FOR A R TURN 'DIRECT LEGRO (IAF ILS RWY 26R), CLRED TO INTERCEPT, CLRED FOR THE APCH.' I ASKED FOR THE GEAR DOWN IMMEDIATELY AS WE TURNED BASE PASSING THROUGH 7500 FT. CAPT SAID 'YOU'RE FINE' AS WE INTERCEPTED LOC. HAZE WAS SO BAD I COULDN'T MAKE OUT ARPT BUT I SENSED WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO 'CATCH UP.' I FINALLY SAW THE ARPT AT ABOUT 2 MI AND WE WERE WAY TOO HIGH TO EVEN CONSIDER SALVAGING THE APCH APPROX 9000 FT. I STATED THAT WE WERE EXECUTING 'MISSED' TO THE CAPT BUT HE WAS FAR FROM AGGRESSIVE IN TRYING TO GET A RADIO CALL OFF. AT THIS POINT I LEVELED OFF AT MISSED ALT OF 3500 FT AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO PASS OVER THE DEP END OF RWY 26R AT THAT ALT AND MIGHT BE A CONFLICT FOR TFC DEPARTING ON RWY 26L. I INITIATED R TURN TO 360 DEGS AND SAW THAT WE WOULD NEED A FURTHER R TURN TO GET ON ATL 360 DEG RADIAL. FINALLY, CAPT GOT THROUGH AND WE RECEIVED VECTORS FOR SUBSEQUENT APCH. FINDINGS: I REALIZED THAT I ERRED ON MY OWN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND LET A CAPT FURTHER 'LURE' ME INTO SENSE OF 'FALSE SECURITY' IN LIEU OF ANALYZING MY CHANCES OF A SUCCESSFUL APCH. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE CLRNC AND DSNDED ON DOWNWIND. FURTHERMORE, ONCE HIGH ON FINAL I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED MISSED APCH WAS IMMINENT AND REVIEWED PROC BETTER AND OBTAINED CLRNC EARLIER.

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.