Narrative:

My first officer is our english-as-second-language first officer. So; on every flight with him the workload is increased by my having to teach him to speak and understand english better and to be aware of when I have to step in and handle communications. We are asked to keep it in tight behind a similar type aircraft ahead; and to maintain 2000 ft or below. This plan would not have worked because the boeing 717 was 2 mi behind and there was not enough room. However; my losing the traffic in the haze; and ballooning up to 2500 ft did not help even one bit. This was just a simple loss of visual and a very uncharacteristic; if I may say so myself; loss of situational awareness. Compounding this was that I never did set in the ILS on the garmin 430 until turning on to final (this was VFR). As it turns out; they took us off the approach and vectored us around; and all was well after that. However; we could have royally bleeped up the traffic pattern around this busy airport due to this 500 ft blown altitude. Factors included: workload due to incompetent developmental first officer; lackadaisical attitude during whole flight due to fatigue and end-of-day time frame; captain's failure to set up instruments properly for approach and resulting loss of situational awareness. I know it's hard to find qualified pilots sometimes but when scraping the bottom of the barrel; resist the temptation to make something work that won't in the long run. Send the first officer back to instructing primaries or doing something productive while they hone their communication skills to meet a minimum standard for basic work. If you do have someone in the cockpit like that; have them do minimal work for you and make sure you treat it as a one-pilot flight with respect to workflow; when necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C414 CAPT WITH A FOREIGN FO ARE TAKEN OFF AN INST APCH AFTER LANGUAGE; SITUATIONAL AWARENESS LAPSES; FATIGUE; AN ALTDEV; AND POOR FO INVOLVEMENT ADD UP TO AN OVERLOADED CAPT UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: MY FO IS OUR ENGLISH-AS-SECOND-LANGUAGE FO. SO; ON EVERY FLT WITH HIM THE WORKLOAD IS INCREASED BY MY HAVING TO TEACH HIM TO SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND ENGLISH BETTER AND TO BE AWARE OF WHEN I HAVE TO STEP IN AND HANDLE COMS. WE ARE ASKED TO KEEP IT IN TIGHT BEHIND A SIMILAR TYPE ACFT AHEAD; AND TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT OR BELOW. THIS PLAN WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED BECAUSE THE BOEING 717 WAS 2 MI BEHIND AND THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM. HOWEVER; MY LOSING THE TFC IN THE HAZE; AND BALLOONING UP TO 2500 FT DID NOT HELP EVEN ONE BIT. THIS WAS JUST A SIMPLE LOSS OF VISUAL AND A VERY UNCHARACTERISTIC; IF I MAY SAY SO MYSELF; LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. COMPOUNDING THIS WAS THAT I NEVER DID SET IN THE ILS ON THE GARMIN 430 UNTIL TURNING ON TO FINAL (THIS WAS VFR). AS IT TURNS OUT; THEY TOOK US OFF THE APCH AND VECTORED US AROUND; AND ALL WAS WELL AFTER THAT. HOWEVER; WE COULD HAVE ROYALLY BLEEPED UP THE TFC PATTERN AROUND THIS BUSY ARPT DUE TO THIS 500 FT BLOWN ALT. FACTORS INCLUDED: WORKLOAD DUE TO INCOMPETENT DEVELOPMENTAL FO; LACKADAISICAL ATTITUDE DURING WHOLE FLT DUE TO FATIGUE AND END-OF-DAY TIME FRAME; CAPT'S FAILURE TO SET UP INSTS PROPERLY FOR APCH AND RESULTING LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO FIND QUALIFIED PLTS SOMETIMES BUT WHEN SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL; RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE SOMETHING WORK THAT WON'T IN THE LONG RUN. SEND THE FO BACK TO INSTRUCTING PRIMARIES OR DOING SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE WHILE THEY HONE THEIR COM SKILLS TO MEET A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR BASIC WORK. IF YOU DO HAVE SOMEONE IN THE COCKPIT LIKE THAT; HAVE THEM DO MINIMAL WORK FOR YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU TREAT IT AS A ONE-PLT FLT WITH RESPECT TO WORKFLOW; WHEN NECESSARY.

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.