B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 250; Flight Crew Type 2000
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Aircraft; Weather
After discussion with the FO; we chose to go around due primarily to poor visibility through the forward windows in heavy rain. We met all the parameters to continue to land; but somewhere on final my FO; using excellent CRM said 'Are you good with this?' We continued until it became clear that the heavy rain and blurry windshield was likely to persist until touchdown. We executed a normal go-around; got better conditions; and landed uneventfully. Our event was very similar to an event in [a company bulletin]; and I thought the recommendation to recoat the windows periodically was a good one. Going down final I was thinking of the occasional airliner that slides off the runway in Southeast Asia in a heavy rainstorm; and the FO verbalizing his concern helped me/us make the right decision. It was one of the very few times in my career where I went around; just because it didn't feel right.If we can't do something to improve the windshields performance in heavy rain; we should at least add a paragraph to the AOM (Aircraft Operations Manual) describing the blurring due to rain; and encouraging a go-around.
B737 Captain reported a go-around was executed due to a blurred vision through the windshield caused by heavy rain.