Narrative:

It was our first leg together. As the captain; I was the pilot monitoring. The entire flight was normal. The condition was dusk and very close to nighttime conditions. About 5 mi from field; the approach controller asked if we had the field. I did see the field but I asked the first officer and he said he did not. On downwind the controller asked us again if we had the field. Once again the first officer said no; so I asked to be vectored on final. The controller told us to maintain 2500 ft and turned us final. By the time the first officer saw the field; we were too high to make a safe approach. Now that the first officer had the field; I asked for a box pattern back to the field. The controller cleared us the visual and gave us a right box turn. The first officer began a right turn and a descent. On downwind; he said he saw the runway which was out of my view. As he started a base turn; he realized the turn was going to be tight and rolled into a steep bank; approximately 45 degrees. I called bank angle and airspeed as he slowed to reference speed. About that time we get a 'caution obstacle.' he began to pull up without power and I called 'airspeed.' the flight path was corrected and warning ceased. The approach continued and at 1000 ft we were on speed and now slightly low on GS. We were not quite lined up with the runway because we had gone through final on the base to final turn. I called 'GS' and by 800 ft we were lined up on glide path and speed. The landing was normal. Although the approach was stable; it was just ugly. As a new captain; I try not to fly the jet for the first officer. After the first go around/box pattern; I really did not want to go around again. In hindsight; I should have directed a go around after the 'caution obstacle' but so much was happening at one time; I did not. It was close enough to night conditions that a go around was warranted. Enough passenger made comments about the approach that I thought a report was warranted. Like I said; I am a new captain and really do not want to be one of those capts that flies the jet for the first officer. In this case; everything happened so fast I was just making deviation callouts trying to get the aircraft on the ground. First officer had been here 10 months and could do much better. I also know he was embarrassed. I really think it was just a bad day for him. I know it is my responsibility to 'instruct' new first officer's. It is a fine line between instructing and flying the aircraft for them. I am still learning where that line is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW B737-700 CAPTAIN REPORTS UNSTABILIZED VISUAL APCH FLOWN BY FO.

Narrative: IT WAS OUR FIRST LEG TOGETHER. AS THE CAPT; I WAS THE PLT MONITORING. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS NORMAL. THE CONDITION WAS DUSK AND VERY CLOSE TO NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS. ABOUT 5 MI FROM FIELD; THE APCH CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD. I DID SEE THE FIELD BUT I ASKED THE FO AND HE SAID HE DID NOT. ON DOWNWIND THE CTLR ASKED US AGAIN IF WE HAD THE FIELD. ONCE AGAIN THE FO SAID NO; SO I ASKED TO BE VECTORED ON FINAL. THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT AND TURNED US FINAL. BY THE TIME THE FO SAW THE FIELD; WE WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE A SAFE APCH. NOW THAT THE FO HAD THE FIELD; I ASKED FOR A BOX PATTERN BACK TO THE FIELD. THE CTLR CLRED US THE VISUAL AND GAVE US A R BOX TURN. THE FO BEGAN A R TURN AND A DSCNT. ON DOWNWIND; HE SAID HE SAW THE RWY WHICH WAS OUT OF MY VIEW. AS HE STARTED A BASE TURN; HE REALIZED THE TURN WAS GOING TO BE TIGHT AND ROLLED INTO A STEEP BANK; APPROX 45 DEGS. I CALLED BANK ANGLE AND AIRSPD AS HE SLOWED TO REF SPD. ABOUT THAT TIME WE GET A 'CAUTION OBSTACLE.' HE BEGAN TO PULL UP WITHOUT PWR AND I CALLED 'AIRSPD.' THE FLT PATH WAS CORRECTED AND WARNING CEASED. THE APCH CONTINUED AND AT 1000 FT WE WERE ON SPD AND NOW SLIGHTLY LOW ON GS. WE WERE NOT QUITE LINED UP WITH THE RWY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE THROUGH FINAL ON THE BASE TO FINAL TURN. I CALLED 'GS' AND BY 800 FT WE WERE LINED UP ON GLIDE PATH AND SPD. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. ALTHOUGH THE APCH WAS STABLE; IT WAS JUST UGLY. AS A NEW CAPT; I TRY NOT TO FLY THE JET FOR THE FO. AFTER THE FIRST GAR/BOX PATTERN; I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO GO AROUND AGAIN. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE DIRECTED A GAR AFTER THE 'CAUTION OBSTACLE' BUT SO MUCH WAS HAPPENING AT ONE TIME; I DID NOT. IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO NIGHT CONDITIONS THAT A GAR WAS WARRANTED. ENOUGH PAX MADE COMMENTS ABOUT THE APCH THAT I THOUGHT A RPT WAS WARRANTED. LIKE I SAID; I AM A NEW CAPT AND REALLY DO NOT WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE CAPTS THAT FLIES THE JET FOR THE FO. IN THIS CASE; EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST I WAS JUST MAKING DEV CALLOUTS TRYING TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND. FO HAD BEEN HERE 10 MONTHS AND COULD DO MUCH BETTER. I ALSO KNOW HE WAS EMBARRASSED. I REALLY THINK IT WAS JUST A BAD DAY FOR HIM. I KNOW IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO 'INSTRUCT' NEW FO'S. IT IS A FINE LINE BTWN INSTRUCTING AND FLYING THE ACFT FOR THEM. I AM STILL LEARNING WHERE THAT LINE IS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.