A330
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Human-Machine Interface
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors; Weather
We approached the field from the northwest for landing ILS Z 18R. We were cleared down to 8;000 FT MSL and told to intercept LOC. The winds at that altitude were out of the north at about 60 KTS. This strong tailwind; although decreasing slowly as we descended; made it very difficult to make our descent and capture the glideslope. We had to ask for lower from the Controller and we were given a frequency change to do so on final. That Controller then cleared us for the approach. At this point we were above the glidepath and trying to descend to capture it. At about 3;900 FT MSL (about 2;000 FT AGL) the Captain (pilot flying) elected to go-around. Due to our altitude he elected to initially go-around using vertical speed to climb to the 5;000 FT missed approach altitude. At some point during the go-around I believe he selected open climb. At about this time I picked up the PA and began to make a brief announcement. During the announcement I heard the altitude alert warning and I discontinued the PA. It was then I observed our climbing through about 5;500 FT and we topped out at about 5;800 FT before returning to 5;000 FT on the missed approach. The controllers never made any mention about our altitude.The decision to go-around was a good one. The execution of the go-around was somewhat out of our normal go-around TOGA routine due to our higher than normal altitude at initiation. I believe this; along with the relative newness of the Captain to the A330 resulted in automation inputs that somehow led to the autopilot disconnecting. By the time the pilot flying realized the autopilot had disconnected our pitch was such that we went through our missed approach altitude.As the observer seat pilot; in hindsight; I would not have been so quick to make the PA announcement to the cabin explaining our go-around and plans to return to the field. This brief amount of time out of the loop kept me from being another set of eyes that maybe could have contributed to capturing the altitude. Additionally; it is usually better to stick with the go-around TOGA routine on most go-arounds so that our normal habit patterns kick in and the technology works more in our favor during a missed approach.
I noticed and advised the Captain (who was the pilot flying and had less than 100 hours on the airplane) that we were well above the glide path and additionally had a 60 KT tailwind at 8;000 FT. Our current speed was about 200 KTS with Flaps 1. He further slowed to 190 KTS and requested Flaps 2 and I suggested gear down and full spoilers which he commanded. By this time with the high true airspeed and 60 KT tailwind we had a full glideslope deflection below our path. Simultaneously I had switched frequencies and requested lower altitude from the next Controller. After a very short delay he cleared us for the ILS Z 18R. We were in a vertical speed mode trying to capture the glideslope from above; but due to the [still] 50 KT tailwind and high true airspeed at 6;000 FT it was becoming apparent we would not be able to get down and be stabilized at 1;000 FT AGL. At 4;000 FT MSL (2;000 FT AGL) the Captain decided to go-around. At some point during the go-around I heard the autopilot disconnect. I thought it disconnected due to the Captain disconnecting it and that he was hand flying. After a later discussion I found out that the Captain had not disconnected the autopilot and that he had not recognized that it had disconnected.The nose then pitched further upward and we passed through 5;000 and I told the Captain to get the nose down and he said he was trying but the autopilot was not following his inputs. That's when I told him that the autopilot was not on and we both realized what the other had been thinking.On our next approach we slowed and configured even earlier (outside MANCO) with gear; Flaps 3; and full speedbrake; and we still did not get a clearance for the approach until we were well above the glidepath. We still had the 60 KT tailwind at 8;000 FT but were able to get on the glidepath by about 2;500 FT AGL and be stable by 1;000 AGL and make an uneventful landing.
An A330 flight crew being vectored to the north to land south and LEMD found themselves high and fast due to terrain and significant tail winds. When they initiated a go-around the autopilot disconnected and they climbed through the MAP altitude.