Narrative:

Houston center cleared us direct hrl shortly after departing hou. I entered hrl into the FMS, and executed the waypoint. I loaded hrl ILS runway 17R into the departure/arrival page, and then executed direct hour (sebas, the FAF). I did this, based on the following train of thought. Hour was essentially lined up with hrl, but closer to what I perceived we would actually fly. The difference from as far out as we were was negligible. I assumed we would be getting vectored to final closer in, and I had the misperception that this sort of shortcut was common practice, based on suggestions from other capts in previous similar circumstances. I had also flown to hrl 4 times over the last month (in a -200), and we were always assigned direct hour by approach. En route, I briefed up the ILS runway 17R as ATIS called for 800 ft scattered. When we checked in with valley approach, he gave us a descent to 2000 ft MSL, and said 'radar vectors to final.' approximately 10 NM from hour, we hadn't heard anything further from valley, so the captain said 'still there?' valley responded he would 'talk to us in 8 mi.' I realized we were getting close to final, so I began slowing, and was in landing confign and airspeed by hour. Valley asked something about if we were direct hour, and then cleared us for the ILS runway 17R. Since we were at 2000 ft MSL, and not yet established on the localizer, we were unable to achieve a stabilized approach by 1000 ft above tze, so we flew an uneventful missed approach, subsequent ILS and landing. During vectors for the second approach, valley asked if we had been cleared direct hour by ZHU, to which the captain answered 'no, sir.' I have long strived to be meticulous about flying 'by the book.' this lesson caused me to consider if I am taking 'shortcuts' in any other areas (of life in general, as well as flying!). I accept full responsibility for this error in judgement, and will never again try to outsmart ATC or any other authority/authorized. One other thing that broke down was CRM. If I was even thinking of entering a fix other than cleared for, I should have cleared it with the captain first. That would have broken another link in the proverbial chain of events. Supplemental information from acn 568065: valley approach told us to maintain 2000 ft until established, and cleared us for the ILS runway 17R. By the time we were established on the localizer, we were over sebas still at 2000 ft. We initially started a descent from 2000 ft, but quickly realized that we were too high and would not be able to establish stabilized approach criteria for IFR conditions, so we elected to go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISSED APCH EXECUTED BY THE FLT CREW OF A B737-300 WHEN A DESTABILIZED APCH IS DETECTED PASSING THE LOM FOR RWY 17R 600 FT HIGH N OF HRL, TX.

Narrative: HOUSTON CTR CLRED US DIRECT HRL SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING HOU. I ENTERED HRL INTO THE FMS, AND EXECUTED THE WAYPOINT. I LOADED HRL ILS RWY 17R INTO THE DEP/ARR PAGE, AND THEN EXECUTED DIRECT HR (SEBAS, THE FAF). I DID THIS, BASED ON THE FOLLOWING TRAIN OF THOUGHT. HR WAS ESSENTIALLY LINED UP WITH HRL, BUT CLOSER TO WHAT I PERCEIVED WE WOULD ACTUALLY FLY. THE DIFFERENCE FROM AS FAR OUT AS WE WERE WAS NEGLIGIBLE. I ASSUMED WE WOULD BE GETTING VECTORED TO FINAL CLOSER IN, AND I HAD THE MISPERCEPTION THAT THIS SORT OF SHORTCUT WAS COMMON PRACTICE, BASED ON SUGGESTIONS FROM OTHER CAPTS IN PREVIOUS SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD ALSO FLOWN TO HRL 4 TIMES OVER THE LAST MONTH (IN A -200), AND WE WERE ALWAYS ASSIGNED DIRECT HR BY APCH. ENRTE, I BRIEFED UP THE ILS RWY 17R AS ATIS CALLED FOR 800 FT SCATTERED. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH VALLEY APCH, HE GAVE US A DSCNT TO 2000 FT MSL, AND SAID 'RADAR VECTORS TO FINAL.' APPROX 10 NM FROM HR, WE HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING FURTHER FROM VALLEY, SO THE CAPT SAID 'STILL THERE?' VALLEY RESPONDED HE WOULD 'TALK TO US IN 8 MI.' I REALIZED WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO FINAL, SO I BEGAN SLOWING, AND WAS IN LNDG CONFIGN AND AIRSPD BY HR. VALLEY ASKED SOMETHING ABOUT IF WE WERE DIRECT HR, AND THEN CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 17R. SINCE WE WERE AT 2000 FT MSL, AND NOT YET ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, WE WERE UNABLE TO ACHIEVE A STABILIZED APCH BY 1000 FT ABOVE TZE, SO WE FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL MISSED APCH, SUBSEQUENT ILS AND LNDG. DURING VECTORS FOR THE SECOND APCH, VALLEY ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT HR BY ZHU, TO WHICH THE CAPT ANSWERED 'NO, SIR.' I HAVE LONG STRIVED TO BE METICULOUS ABOUT FLYING 'BY THE BOOK.' THIS LESSON CAUSED ME TO CONSIDER IF I AM TAKING 'SHORTCUTS' IN ANY OTHER AREAS (OF LIFE IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS FLYING!). I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ERROR IN JUDGEMENT, AND WILL NEVER AGAIN TRY TO OUTSMART ATC OR ANY OTHER AUTH. ONE OTHER THING THAT BROKE DOWN WAS CRM. IF I WAS EVEN THINKING OF ENTERING A FIX OTHER THAN CLRED FOR, I SHOULD HAVE CLRED IT WITH THE CAPT FIRST. THAT WOULD HAVE BROKEN ANOTHER LINK IN THE PROVERBIAL CHAIN OF EVENTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 568065: VALLEY APCH TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED, AND CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 17R. BY THE TIME WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, WE WERE OVER SEBAS STILL AT 2000 FT. WE INITIALLY STARTED A DSCNT FROM 2000 FT, BUT QUICKLY REALIZED THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA FOR IFR CONDITIONS, SO WE ELECTED TO GAR.

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.