Narrative:

On approach into runway 31C at mdw I let my first officer get high. I finally reached for the gear handle and he called for gear down. (Good decision, but too late.) approximately 3 mi out I realized that we might not make it down so I asked for s-turns (good decision). Tower said he had traffic to the left so I then asked for a right 360 degree heading, which was approved. (Excellent decision.) my first officer still said that he thought we could make it. I then told tower we would continue the approach. (Bad decision.) at 1000 ft we were not in parameters so I elected to go around. (Excellent decision.) the controller offered runway 22, so we entered a left downwind. (Bad idea.) we turned base and overshot runway 22L and were given a vector of 240 degree heading runway 31C from which we made a normal approach and landing. Reaching the gate I made a PA and told the passenger that we were too high to make a safe landing so we elected to go around and make a normal landing. Background: this was the second leg of my first captain trip. The first non-flying leg without a check airman. My first officer was a 4 yr plus pilot with 20 yrs experience flying airliners. I believe that I let his experience influence my decision to continue the approach. I shouldn't have let my first officer get high and shouldn't have accepted runway 22L from such a tight downwind. I also should have made the PA in the air while on downwind to runway 31C. I think an in-flight PA would have made everyone more comfortable. I know that if my first officer was a new guy this never would have taken place. I now know that in the future I will never let the experience of anyone lull me into a decision that I am not comfortable with. Lessons learned: don't let anyone (ATC, first officer, etc) put you as a captain in a situation that is beyond your comfort level. A good decision was made to go around, but I never should have had to make that call. Supplemental information from acn 548725: lessons learned: when the decision to go around is made, do it first and then make the approach that you are comfortable with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A JUNIOR B737 CAPT ALLOWS AN EXPERIENCED FO TO GET HIS ACFT INTO A DESTABILIZED APCH, WHICH MANDATED A MISSED APCH AT MDW.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO RWY 31C AT MDW I LET MY FO GET HIGH. I FINALLY REACHED FOR THE GEAR HANDLE AND HE CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN. (GOOD DECISION, BUT TOO LATE.) APPROX 3 MI OUT I REALIZED THAT WE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT DOWN SO I ASKED FOR S-TURNS (GOOD DECISION). TWR SAID HE HAD TFC TO THE L SO I THEN ASKED FOR A R 360 DEG HDG, WHICH WAS APPROVED. (EXCELLENT DECISION.) MY FO STILL SAID THAT HE THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE IT. I THEN TOLD TWR WE WOULD CONTINUE THE APCH. (BAD DECISION.) AT 1000 FT WE WERE NOT IN PARAMETERS SO I ELECTED TO GO AROUND. (EXCELLENT DECISION.) THE CTLR OFFERED RWY 22, SO WE ENTERED A L DOWNWIND. (BAD IDEA.) WE TURNED BASE AND OVERSHOT RWY 22L AND WERE GIVEN A VECTOR OF 240 DEG HDG RWY 31C FROM WHICH WE MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. REACHING THE GATE I MADE A PA AND TOLD THE PAX THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG SO WE ELECTED TO GO AROUND AND MAKE A NORMAL LNDG. BACKGROUND: THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG OF MY FIRST CAPT TRIP. THE FIRST NON-FLYING LEG WITHOUT A CHK AIRMAN. MY FO WAS A 4 YR PLUS PLT WITH 20 YRS EXPERIENCE FLYING AIRLINERS. I BELIEVE THAT I LET HIS EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE MY DECISION TO CONTINUE THE APCH. I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET MY FO GET HIGH AND SHOULDN'T HAVE ACCEPTED RWY 22L FROM SUCH A TIGHT DOWNWIND. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE MADE THE PA IN THE AIR WHILE ON DOWNWIND TO RWY 31C. I THINK AN INFLT PA WOULD HAVE MADE EVERYONE MORE COMFORTABLE. I KNOW THAT IF MY FO WAS A NEW GUY THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE. I NOW KNOW THAT IN THE FUTURE I WILL NEVER LET THE EXPERIENCE OF ANYONE LULL ME INTO A DECISION THAT I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH. LESSONS LEARNED: DON'T LET ANYONE (ATC, FO, ETC) PUT YOU AS A CAPT IN A SIT THAT IS BEYOND YOUR COMFORT LEVEL. A GOOD DECISION WAS MADE TO GO AROUND, BUT I NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAD TO MAKE THAT CALL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 548725: LESSONS LEARNED: WHEN THE DECISION TO GO AROUND IS MADE, DO IT FIRST AND THEN MAKE THE APCH THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.

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.