EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Aircraft; Human Factors
We we're establish on the appraoch to Runway 18R when the autopilot did a hard right turn then a hard left turn and then we were off course for the appraoch. ATC vectored us around and landed. Autopilot malfunction.
The reporter believes that the autopilot was at fault but other factors involved were distance from runway (15 NM); aircraft ahead on the approach and VMC. Autopilot was not used during the second approach.
EMB145 Captain reports autopilot deviations right and left of course while tracking the localizer and glideslope for Runway 18R at CLT. The aircraft ended up too close to Runway 18C and was vectored around for another approach and the autopilot was not used.