CAPT OF A LEARJET DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED INTERMEDIATE DSCNT ALT DURING VECTOR FOR A VISUAL APCH TO A L PARALLEL RWY. AFTER ATC CLRED HIM FOR THE VISUAL APCH; HE OVERSHOT FINAL AND WONDERED INTO THE FINAL OF THE R PARALLEL RWY.

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RADAR VECTORED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L AT ATL ARPT. WE WERE AT AN ANGLE AND A HIGH ALT; CLOSE IN TO THE RWY (APPROX 5000 FT; 5 MI). THE FO ASKED ME IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I RESPONDED THAT I DID; AND HE IMMEDIATELY RELAYED THIS TO ATC. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L. DUE TO OUR POS/ALT; I DID NOT ANTICIPATE A VISUAL APCH AT THIS TIME. THERE WAS A QUESTION AS TO IF THIS WAS HARTSFIELD ARPT; OR ONE OF THE SATELLITE ARPTS. WHILE I WAS SORTING THIS OUT WITH MY FO AND OUR GPS READINGS; I MAINTAINED PRESENT HDG; AND EVENTUALLY WANDERED INTO THE APCH LANE FOR RWY 8R. A SLIGHT DSCNT OCCURRED DURING THIS TIME; GOING TO LOWER THAN 4800 FT. WHEN OUR POS/SIT WAS DETERMINED; I BEGAN A L TURN BACK TO RWY 8L. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT ATC QUESTIONED OUR INTENTIONS; AND IF WE IN FACT HAD THE ARPT/RWY IN SIGHT. I THEN REPLIED TO ATC THAT THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD SAFELY EXECUTE THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L; AND WOULD REQUIRE A 360 DEG TURN OR RADAR VECTORS. WE WERE THEN VECTORED TO A MORE APPROPRIATE LOCATION FOR THE ILS TO RWY 8L WITH NO FURTHER CONFLICT. WHAT I BELIEVE STARTED THE CHAIN REACTION OF INCIDENTS WAS MY COPLT'S EXUBERANCE TO QUICKLY/EFFICIENTLY POS OUR ACFT FOR LNDG. THIS EXPEDITIOUS MANNER DOES PREVAIL WITH SOME OF THE OTHER CAPTS HE FLIES WITH. IT WAS ALSO ODD THAT ATC WOULD EXPECT AN ACFT TO SLAM-DUNK A VISUAL APCH REQUIRING A MAX PERFORMANCE DSCNT (FULLY CONFIGURED; PWR-OFF DIVE) TO THE RWY. AND ALSO; MY INACTION BY NOT FULLY BRIEFING THE FO AS TO HOW I WANTED TO EXECUTE THE APCH. I SHOULD HAVE OVERRIDDEN THE FO'S CALL TO ATC OF THE ARPT/RWY IN SIGHT; AND NOT ACCEPT THE VISUAL APCH. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE EVENT UPON LNDG; AND THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN WHILE WE ARE OPERATING AS A CREW. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MORE EXPLICIT WITH MY FO(S) AS TO WHEN I DETERMINE TO RPT THE ARPT/RWY IN SIGHT WITH ATC; AND AS TO WHO; IN FACT; IS ACTUALLY FLYING THE AIRPLANE.