Date: 201508
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: Q400
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class B ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: PFD
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Aircraft
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was on visual approach; turning final 10 miles out; the PFD on captains side lost all information and went blank except for loss of data messages on screen. Autopilot was still engaged. I stated to First Officer that I lost info on my side and commanded 'your airplane'. HSI was selected to FO's side and approach was continued. Minutes later I noticed on FO's PFD and outside observations that we were well below GS and made a call about being low. I then saw that the Flt director was in a wings level and pitch mode and not set up to capture LOC/GS; I think I may have selected it to capture and FO started correcting by leveling out. ATC then gave us a go around instruction due to spacing with landing traffic we were following. We executed the go around and during that; I made a call about airspeed due to getting close to a flap overspeed. He corrected for that and I raised flaps to zero and we were vectored back around for landing without any further complicationsI think the main cause of this event was that I was too hasty to transfer control of aircraft in these conditions. We were in VFR conditions and in a stable condition; and had I waited a few minutes and used that to closer evaluate what was available; I would have discovered that all my flt data was still being displayed on the HGS; and there was no real need to transfer control. Being distracted inside the aircraft; eyes down; while below GS and during go around; I didn't discover that until on downwind while being vectored back. Having to suddenly take control of aircraft; and get up to speed as flying pilot with flight director not reprogrammed correctly put the FO in a behind situation. I jumped into an action that wasn't necessary and further complicated the approach. Both of us were lacking in situational awareness in knowing where the airplane was going and what it was programmed to do.




Synopsis: Q400 Captain reported losing his PFD during a visual approach in VMC and passed control of the aircraft to the First Officer. The First Officer was not prepared to take over flying duties and got low and fast resulting in Tower issuing a go-around. On downwind the Captain noted that the information he needed to fly the approach was available on the HUD.