Date: 201702
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: B737-700
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Contributing factors: Procedure; Human Factors; Weather
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: The published missed approach is a left turn. We had previously asked Approach if we could plan on that. They said if we went missed; Tower would assign a heading. We did not break out and started the missed approach. I was Pilot Flying; and after hitting TOGA and calling for flaps 15; landing gear up; my Flight Director guidance went away. Not sure what happened there. I was distracted by that and Tower gave us a right turn heading. The First Officer (FO) acknowledged it. I did not hear it and was trying to get my guidance back. It came back and; of course; directed a left turn. The FO did not state clearly enough that a turn had been given; and the Tower said we needed to turn right. I directed the FO to dial in the turn and hit Heading Select. The Controller then was too impatient with that correction and gave us a turn back left. We eventually leveled off at 3000' and contacted Departure. I believe Tower should have given us a heads up that a right turn was going to be our amended missed approach upon check-in. Also; the FO could have been more direct when it was obvious I had missed the call. On a side note; Approach tried to hurry us in on the approach to start (maintain 210 knots while base leg to final at eight miles!) with weather right at mins at 3000 RVR. The Crew behind us overshot final trying that; and Approach questioned them! Overall; when weather is at minimums; let's slow down the operation a bit and give Crews time to be stable. Also; Tower needs to advise Aircrews that there will be amended missed approach instructions if the turn occurs below 1000'. Slow down and keep Crews aware! We executed a second unsuccessful approach; and the Crew in front of us were slightly harassed for not turning right quicker on their missed approach. ZZZ is Yellow on a clear day. Tell them not to put Crews in the Red on a very marginal visibility day.


Second narrative: I was the Pilot Monitoring (PM). Weather was poor RVR down to 1600 while we held for it to rise back to RVR 3000. After about 30 min of holding RVR increased and we proceeded in for the approach. The Flying Pilot asked me to inquire about missed approach instructions. Approach stated Tower would give us other instructions. We were cleared for the approach with no alternate instructions and entered dense IFR fog at about 2600 ft MSL. At decision height nothing was insight so the First Officer called for go around and began a left turn for the published missed approach. I announced to Tower we were missed approach and at that point the Tower gave us a turn in the opposite direction to the right to a heading of 110 degrees. We were still in dense fog and began the turn slowly but clearly not to speed the Controller wanted.Tower should have given us the alternate missed approach instructions before clearing us for the approach. The weather was at the minimum and a go around was to be expected; especially in this dense fog. The Controller was asking us to perform essentially at 270 degree turn in the fog at low airspeed while changing configuration and accelerating. This is our most difficult and disorienting maneuver. To the Controller it was just another approach. The weather conditions did not play in his demeanor. This was entirely avoidable.


Synopsis: B737 flight crew reported ATC assigned a late missed approach heading that was opposite to the published turn direction. The crew was slow to react initially and ATC then assigned a turn reversal.