Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Weather
On approach to 28C at ORD we heard a report of wind shear ahead of us. One report was a 50 knot change in wind. At least one aircraft ahead of us performed a missed approach. We discussed doing the same. I waited for the First Office (FO) to advise Tower we were going to go around as well. We started the maneuver above 1;000 AGL. At that point we were not in the wind shear. We believe we had the flaps retracted before entering the actual wind shear.We entered the wind shear at about 1;200-1;400 AGL. The FO announced 'escape'; I did perform the escape maneuver. We lost 200-400 feet passing through the wind shear. Exiting the wind shear we encountered a strong updraft. The first altitude given by ATC was 2;500 feet MSL. That was not going to be possible so ATC changed that to 4;000 feet MSL. The updraft was very strong. I flew to 4;500 feet MSL before arresting the climb. I then returned to 4;000 feet MSL. Airspeed got as high as 315 KTS. We got settled and returned for landing. We entered the max power event in the Aircraft Maintenance Log (AML).The extreme conditions of the wind shear made the maintaining of some limits secondary. I've only been on the airplane about 5 months. I've been flying with all the automation on as recommended. I am against that. I believe we need to hand fly more often so that we have all the numbers in our heads for the power settings for the different conditions we fly in. i.e. cruise; climb (clean); climb (dirty); traffic pattern while configured; pushing down the glideslope. I recently asked an FO; who has been on the airplane [over ten years]; what power setting to use to push it down the glideslope. He told me depends on the winds; weights. Of course it does; but he/we should have good start point numbers in our heads. I still know the basic numbers for the [the previous aircraft I flew]. I hand flew those more often. We are so spoiled flying with autothrottles on all the time and autopilot on all the time that we lose the feel of the aircraft. I think I would not have at least exceeded the limits by as much if I had a better feel for the aircraft. I don't believe I'm the only one lacking that feel. More training should be done without all the automation; and less emphasis on always having it on.
Widebody air carrier Captain reported experiencing severe windshear then executed a go-around. Second approach and landing were normal.