Date: 201502
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: DAL.Airport, TX
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class B DFW
ATC / advisory: TRACON D10
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Captain
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Detector: Automation Aircraft Terrain Warning; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Coming off the NRTAY 1 RNAV Arrival we were given clearance direct to JAKID for Runway 31L.  About 12 miles south of airport I reported airport in sight. Rather than intercept final approach course outside of JAKID and at or above 2;200 feet as published; I angled in left of course. We were fully configured and I was hand flying; I appeared above the glideslope so I began a descent.  Just after passing through 2;000 feet we received a CAUTION OBSTACLE alert. Captain then took the aircraft and executed a go-around.  We were then vectored back around for a right downwind and landed uneventfully.I should have briefed the Safety Alert which described a caution not to do exactly what I did and how to prevent this from happening.


Second narrative: On our first trip of the day to DAL; I was Pilot Monitoring and my First Officer was flying the aircraft. On arrival into DAL from the south we were cleared for a Visual to 31L; approximately 12 miles from the field. Initially the First Officer had the aircraft headed for the final approach fix of JAKED as he configured for the approach. As we got closer he made a small cut inside the fix but still east of downtown; so I was still comfortable with the approach. Soon after that he made another turn to the left that put us too close to the buildings and I said 'The buildings downtown are 1400 feet high.' He said 'OK but I'm on glidepath.' I realized then that he was unaware of the threat in front of us so I said 'We need to come right.' He started to do so when the Ground Proximity Caution went off with a 'Caution Obstacle '. I directed a go-around and he pushed the power up and started to pick the nose up. At that point I saw the pull up light come on and I took control of the aircraft and executed the terrain avoidance maneuver. The warning stopped as soon as the aircraft stopped descending. North and clear of the downtown structures we advised Tower we were going around. They directed us to fly up the runway and maintain 1500 feet. We never went below 1900-2000 feet on the approach so we descended to 1500 feet. Tower and Approach vectored us around for an uneventful approach and landing on 31L from the north. After shutdown at the gate the First Officer and I debriefed the approach and I showed him the safety alert for DAL.I should have been more proactive about my First Officer's familiarity with the approach into DAL. He was a fairly senior FO and I erroneously assumed he knew about the downtown threat on an approach to DAL from the south. One question from me in the approach briefing would have prevented this event.


Synopsis: B737 flight crew describes a terrain warning caused by attempting to fly over the tall buildings of Houston during a visual approach to Runway 31L. The First Officer was flying and the Captain takes control for the go-around when the First Officer's response is too slow.