A B737 CAPT BECOMES DISORIENTED ON APCH; RESULTING IN AN UNSTABILIZED APCH THAT CAME CLOSE TO A STALL AND A XING RESTR NOT BEING MET.

Narrative

I WAS PNF. APCH GAVE US A VECTOR OF 150 DEGS TO JOIN THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 11 AT OAKLAND. THE PF (CAPT) SELECTED 160 DEGS IN THE COURSE SELECTOR WINDOW. I REMARKED 'COURSE SHOULD BE 160 DEGS; UNLESS YOU WANTED 150 DEGS.' WE WERE THEN GIVEN 'PLAZA AT 1800 FT' WHICH IS A MANDATORY ALT FOR THE FAF ON THE APCH CHART. AT THIS POINT HE BEGAN CONFIGURING; GEAR DOWN; FLAPS 15 DEGS. HE BEGAN HIS TURN AT 2500 FT AND SLOWED THE ACFT TO A NEAR STALL (REF MINUS 15 KTS) IN A 30 DEG BANK. I MADE THE ALTDEV CALL 'AIRSPD! AIRSPD.' HE GAVE THE AIRPLANE NEARLY MAX PWR AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT. THE PWR SOLVED THE AIRSPD; BUT WE THEN BEGAN CLBING. I TOLD HIM 'WE CAN'T CLB HERE;' THEN; 'WE HAVE TO CROSS PLAZA AT 1800 FT.' HE LEVELED OFF; BUT DID NOT DSND. I CALLED THE DEV AGAIN; BUT BY THIS TIME HE HAD INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND THANKFULLY; WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND REJOINED THE GS FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IT WAS A CLASSIC ATTEMPT AT A STALL/SPIN ON THE BASE TO FINAL TURN. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED HIS ACTIONS; OTHER THAN GETTING DISORIENTED IN THE CLOUDS. WE CLBED FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT TO 2400 FT AND CROSSED PLAZA (REQUIRED AT 1800 FT) STILL AT ABOUT 2400 FT; SO WE MISSED THE RESTR BY NOT QUITE 500 FT. THIS IS AIRSPACE UNDER SFO AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT ATC; BUT WE DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT OUR (VERY SHORT) ALT EXCURSION. I DISCUSSED WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD WITH THE CAPT; REMARKING; 'YOU SCARED ME ON FINAL.' HE EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED BY EXPLAINING THAT A HEADWIND CHANGED TO A TAILWIND (OR VICE VERSA) AND THE LOC BUTTON DIDN'T ARM. HE DIDN'T OFFER AN EXPLANATION FOR THE NEAR STALL AND ALT BUST FROM RECOVERY. I THINK (HOPE) NORCAL DIDN'T NOTICE; WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM THEM. THE PAX SURE NOTICED; I WAS BUTTONHOLED BY BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WHILE DEPLANING; WHO WANTED TO KNOW 'WHAT HAPPENED BACK THERE?'