Date: 201508
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: SAT.Airport, TX
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: Turbulence
Aircraft: B757-200
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Cargo / Freight / Delivery
Flight phase: Landing
Airspace: Class C SAT
ATC / advisory: Tower SAT
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Workload; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Contributing factors: Weather; Procedure; Human Factors
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: Descending around thunderstorms; Tower told us to slow to approach speed for a departing aircraft. Notified by Tower approaching 1000 feet of abrupt wind shift which would give us a 17 knot tailwind. The airplane in position on the runway requested the winds again and decided not to launch. We realized the winds were out of limits for our approach; and notified tower around 1000 feet AGL of our intention to go around. Tower said that we didn't need to do that; but just to climb to 2500 feet and continue; but go around was already initiated using TOGA levers. The pilot monitoring was changing the altitude from the 3500 feet we had previously set for a visual missed to 2500 feet as assigned as I was trying to hit altitude hold. Signals got crossed and I elected to hand fly as the airplane was now climbing quite rapidly. There was some confusion on the radio as to what heading we were to fly and how the controller wanted us to return to land in the opposite direction; and the distraction of trying to get the airplane out of [go around] mode (heading select) led to an overshoot of 500 feet on the level off. We were VMC with no separation issues; and Tower did not comment except to clear us back down to 2500 feet. The Tower Controller was then pushing us to initiate a teardrop or switch back to approach for an extended downwind. PM asked for a 6 mile final; but even after we reconfigured quickly with maximum drag; we were just barely stable at 500 feet for the landing. We realized after landing that the approach speeds were not reset for the higher wind component (17 knots) on final.Expectation bias on the initial missed approach. I was thinking about a normal go around; but the Controller wanted us to perform a discontinued approach. We were already throttled up and climbing when the controller asked us to level off at a lower altitude. Too many hands were working the glare shield controls [MCP] at once; and altitude hold was not selected in a timely manner. Hand flying was then the best option; but I lost situational awareness when the conversation became about heading and missed the level off. We then let ourselves be talked into a shorter approach than we wanted after the missed approach; causing us to feel rushed to land.Decide on a course of action and stick with it. If it's going to be a normal go around; then do that. If it's going to be a discontinued approach; then make it clear to the other crewmember who will be pushing the buttons. If more time is needed after an unusual event (i.e.: go around) to get set up for another try; then take the time and don't let ATC rush the process. Above all; fly the airplane!




Synopsis: B757 Captain experienced a wind shift during approach; necessitating a go-around. The Tower wanted the crew to remain in the pattern at 2500 feet but a TOGA had already been initiated and the altitude was exceeded before thrust could be reduced.