Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Weather; Environment - Non Weather Related
I feel that because of the aviation industry dramatic operational reduction in flights there should be a way to raise awareness about the risk of not having our normal operational practice for pilots; ATC; dispatchers; and everybody that is involved in the operation during these unusual times. I had not flown for more than 2 months; I was flying with a first officer which was his first flight out of OE and had never been to ZZZZ; and ATC gave us short vectors to conduct another approach when there was barely any traffic.While been vectored for a visual approach into Runway XXL into ZZZZ; we noticed that there were a few clouds right on the approach path (weather reported was VMC with SCT 1800). I was pilot flying. ATC asked us if we had the runway in sight; but we were already in IMC inside a cloud and could not accept the visual approach. We discontinued the approach and started getting vectors for Runway XYR for an RNAV APP. We got short vectors; things were happening pretty fast; we set up the approach; got the landing performance numbers; performed the briefing; and started configuring to flaps 2. During the briefing we noticed the final APP course had an off set to the RWY. There was also terrain north of the approach and the communication barriers with ZZZZ increased our work load. We got fixated outside; continued configuring; but realized we were not going to be stable at 1;000 feet. For the safety of the flight and company procedures; we decided to go-around. During the go-around; there was a 2 second red warning which I believe was spurious as it went away immediately and we didn't have time to read the ECAM message. Got vectors again for the XXR RNAV and landed safely without any further issues.
Pilot read files could remind pilots of lack of experience combined with recent inactivity could lead to loss of situational awareness. Recommend pilots configure earlier on approaches and sacrifice minor fuel savings while proficiency is retained by pilots who have been absent from the line. We were initially given vectors for a visual approach to Runway XXL; but were IMC too long to accept a visual approach clearance. We executed a discontinued approach with vectors; then took vectors for the RNAV XYR Approach. Due to high workload; minimal preparation time; and language barrier/standard phraseology issues with ATC we became task saturated and overly fixated on the approach navigation. We realized we were not configured; were unstable on the approach; and executed a missed approach.We then received vectors for another RNAV XYR approach; and landed safely without further incident.Contributing factors: Captain long period without flying. FO: First leg off IOE; unfamiliar with ZZZZ airport ATC: Language barrier; non-standard and confusing phraseology. ATC's apparent preference for XXL visual when scattered layer at 1;800 made RNAV XYR a better choice.
Air carrier flight crew experienced a high work load during an approach which resulted in unstable approach and a missed approach. The crew cited lack of experience and recent flying as contributing.