Narrative:

The incident happened at night at XA45 in a B737-300 on approach into sfo. I was the captain and the PNF. We were on final into sfo -- a beautiful clear night (cavu). He began his descent profile and was high to make his initial crossing restr which resulted in a high approach since he was already behind the power curve. We were cleared for the visual approach to the right runway over the bay. When I saw that he was super high; I requested that he make some s-turns. Unfortunately; his turns were so shallow that they made no difference; so I then insisted that he make a larger one to the right. As he proceeded to turn right; he lost sight of the airport -- I guess -- but he started to steepen; the turn to the right; and nose the plane into the water. At that point; I firmly said 'what the *&%$ are you doing?' first officer gave no response. Again I said; as my hands were moving toward the throttles and yoke; also as the GPWS started with 'sink rate;' captain; 'what the *&%$ are you doing?' first officer gave no response. As that was happening; the tower issued a clearance to go around heading 295 degrees (I think); altitude 3000 ft. I took over and said 'toga thrust; we are going around.' after the incident; I asked him what went wrong. He basically said he fell into the black hole trap over that water and completely zoned out; and had I not taken over he would have killed us! Also because I was flying; I had no chance to key the microphone before the tower came on and issued the go around clearance. When we went around; we were probably 500 ft AGL and sinking excessively. Supplemental information from acn 675781: on a visual approach to runway 28R; I was high and fast. Started s-turns to slow and descend. During an s-turn; I became disoriented and called for a missed approach after a sink rate warning. As we started the missed approach; tower gave us a missed approach clearance before we told tower we were going missed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CAPT INITIATED A GAR FROM A VISUAL APCH FOLLOWING THE PF'S LAPSE INTO A BLACK HOLE STUPOR OVER WATER ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT NIGHT AT XA45 IN A B737-300 ON APCH INTO SFO. I WAS THE CAPT AND THE PNF. WE WERE ON FINAL INTO SFO -- A BEAUTIFUL CLR NIGHT (CAVU). HE BEGAN HIS DSCNT PROFILE AND WAS HIGH TO MAKE HIS INITIAL XING RESTR WHICH RESULTED IN A HIGH APCH SINCE HE WAS ALREADY BEHIND THE POWER CURVE. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO THE R RWY OVER THE BAY. WHEN I SAW THAT HE WAS SUPER HIGH; I REQUESTED THAT HE MAKE SOME S-TURNS. UNFORTUNATELY; HIS TURNS WERE SO SHALLOW THAT THEY MADE NO DIFFERENCE; SO I THEN INSISTED THAT HE MAKE A LARGER ONE TO THE R. AS HE PROCEEDED TO TURN R; HE LOST SIGHT OF THE ARPT -- I GUESS -- BUT HE STARTED TO STEEPEN; THE TURN TO THE R; AND NOSE THE PLANE INTO THE WATER. AT THAT POINT; I FIRMLY SAID 'WHAT THE *&%$ ARE YOU DOING?' FO GAVE NO RESPONSE. AGAIN I SAID; AS MY HANDS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE THROTTLES AND YOKE; ALSO AS THE GPWS STARTED WITH 'SINK RATE;' CAPT; 'WHAT THE *&%$ ARE YOU DOING?' FO GAVE NO RESPONSE. AS THAT WAS HAPPENING; THE TWR ISSUED A CLRNC TO GO AROUND HDG 295 DEGS (I THINK); ALT 3000 FT. I TOOK OVER AND SAID 'TOGA THRUST; WE ARE GOING AROUND.' AFTER THE INCIDENT; I ASKED HIM WHAT WENT WRONG. HE BASICALLY SAID HE FELL INTO THE BLACK HOLE TRAP OVER THAT WATER AND COMPLETELY ZONED OUT; AND HAD I NOT TAKEN OVER HE WOULD HAVE KILLED US! ALSO BECAUSE I WAS FLYING; I HAD NO CHANCE TO KEY THE MIKE BEFORE THE TWR CAME ON AND ISSUED THE GAR CLRNC. WHEN WE WENT AROUND; WE WERE PROBABLY 500 FT AGL AND SINKING EXCESSIVELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 675781: ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R; I WAS HIGH AND FAST. STARTED S-TURNS TO SLOW AND DSND. DURING AN S-TURN; I BECAME DISORIENTED AND CALLED FOR A MISSED APCH AFTER A SINK RATE WARNING. AS WE STARTED THE MISSED APCH; TWR GAVE US A MISSED APCH CLRNC BEFORE WE TOLD TWR WE WERE GOING MISSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.