B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Aircraft; Human Factors; Weather
We were approaching SAN for a LOC 27 landing. The weather was clear but a fog bank was rolling in off the coast obscuring the runway although the airport was still VMC. We prepared the VNAV during the approach but around 1800 FT I noticed we were low. We were supposed to cross REEBO at 2000 FT but we crossed around 1800 FT. As the Pilot Monitoring I set the missed approach altitude of 2500 FT at which point the aircraft began a shallow climb. The Captain as the Flying Pilot elected to go around. The missed approach was uneventful. On the downwind leg we could not get the FMC to execute the LOC 27 approach. We tried everything including typing 5000 FT in the VNAV Cruise page as we were flying at the altitude. We elected to shoot the approach raw data since we had the fixes on the Navigation Display and LOC identified. The second approach was slightly rushed and since we couldn't load the approach the Dump and Dive method was utilized. We leveled off at the MDA which was 700 FT and made visual contact with the runway with a safe landed accomplished. There were no EGPWS Warnings or cautions. SAN tower did say our descent rate was excessive but quickly came back to us and said it wasn't a problem and the second approach was continued.We had a somewhat long day but that wasn't the factor. We were expecting an uneventful approach and landing since we could see the airport and coast line from 100 miles away. When we heard an aircraft two places ahead of us on the approach say they broke out at minimums we were surprised. The controller then relayed a message that a fog bank had moved in. The aircraft was out [of] VNAV PATH causing some confusion. The second approach not being able to load the FMC got us out of our comfort level but a Raw Data approach was definitely safe. Keep the airplane in VNAV PATH during the approach. Load the FMC for a non ILS approach. Take extra time to sort out the approach.
B737-800 First Officer reported some difficulty getting set up and properly flying the SAN LOC Runway 27 approach in IMC.