Narrative:

We were on a descent and had completed all checklists below 10000 ft. The WX was perfect with calm winds on the surface; 10 mi visibility reported and only a high scattered layer of clouds. We saw ZZZ from greater than 20 mi; and approach asked us to report the field at about 10 mi. We called the field in sight and were cleared for the visual to runway 33L and handed off to tower. My first officer was PF; and clicked off the autoplt. Although there were calm winds on the surface; there was a 30 KT crosswind out of the west that prevailed until below 800 ft AGL. I commented to my first officer that it appeared he was lined up for the wrong runway (28) but he told me that he was maneuvering for runway 33L. A few seconds passed; and he was still lined up for runway 28; so I again stated my concerns. He told me that he realized that he was lined up for runway 28; and that he intended to maneuver for runway 33L. He continued to descend throughout all of this; and so I asked him to level off. He looked at his approach plate/airport diagram; then started a gentle turn to the left that was mostly negated by the strong crosswind. Tower called and told us to check our compass; and that we were lined up with the wrong runway; and asked if we would like to land on runway 28 because it was available. I stated that we didn't; and that we were maneuvering for runway 33L. I then told my first officer that we needed an aggressive turn to intercept; and that we should stop descending. A couple seconds later I was still not happy with the corrections he was making; and had doubts about his positional awareness. We had now descended below 1000 ft AGL; so I called a go around. Seconds later tower called back and said that they were getting an altitude alert on us. I responded that we had initiated a go around; and he gave us a heading; and altitude and handed us back to approach. We made a normal approach to landing on the second approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER CAPTAIN REPORTS FIRST OFFICER NOT LINED UP WITH INTENDED RUNWAY AND GETTING TOO LOW ON APPROACH. AFTER GO- AROUND IS INITIATED TOWER ISSUES LOW ALTITUDE ALERT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A DSCNT AND HAD COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS BELOW 10000 FT. THE WX WAS PERFECT WITH CALM WINDS ON THE SURFACE; 10 MI VISIBILITY RPTED AND ONLY A HIGH SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS. WE SAW ZZZ FROM GREATER THAN 20 MI; AND APCH ASKED US TO RPT THE FIELD AT ABOUT 10 MI. WE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 33L AND HANDED OFF TO TWR. MY FO WAS PF; AND CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE CALM WINDS ON THE SURFACE; THERE WAS A 30 KT XWIND OUT OF THE W THAT PREVAILED UNTIL BELOW 800 FT AGL. I COMMENTED TO MY FO THAT IT APPEARED HE WAS LINED UP FOR THE WRONG RWY (28) BUT HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS MANEUVERING FOR RWY 33L. A FEW SECONDS PASSED; AND HE WAS STILL LINED UP FOR RWY 28; SO I AGAIN STATED MY CONCERNS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 28; AND THAT HE INTENDED TO MANEUVER FOR RWY 33L. HE CONTINUED TO DSND THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS; AND SO I ASKED HIM TO LEVEL OFF. HE LOOKED AT HIS APCH PLATE/ARPT DIAGRAM; THEN STARTED A GENTLE TURN TO THE L THAT WAS MOSTLY NEGATED BY THE STRONG XWIND. TWR CALLED AND TOLD US TO CHK OUR COMPASS; AND THAT WE WERE LINED UP WITH THE WRONG RWY; AND ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE TO LAND ON RWY 28 BECAUSE IT WAS AVAILABLE. I STATED THAT WE DIDN'T; AND THAT WE WERE MANEUVERING FOR RWY 33L. I THEN TOLD MY FO THAT WE NEEDED AN AGGRESSIVE TURN TO INTERCEPT; AND THAT WE SHOULD STOP DSNDING. A COUPLE SECONDS LATER I WAS STILL NOT HAPPY WITH THE CORRECTIONS HE WAS MAKING; AND HAD DOUBTS ABOUT HIS POSITIONAL AWARENESS. WE HAD NOW DSNDED BELOW 1000 FT AGL; SO I CALLED A GAR. SECONDS LATER TWR CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT THEY WERE GETTING AN ALT ALERT ON US. I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD INITIATED A GAR; AND HE GAVE US A HDG; AND ALT AND HANDED US BACK TO APCH. WE MADE A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG ON THE SECOND APCH.

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.