CRJ200 flight crew reported multiple issues resulted in an unstable approach that would have required a go around. Instead; the crew continued the landing and were stable by 500 ft AGL.
Synopsis
CRJ200 flight crew reported multiple issues resulted in an unstable approach that would have required a go around. Instead; the crew continued the landing and were stable by 500 ft AGL.
Narrative
During visual approach to XXL; First Officer (FO) was pilot flying (PF) and I was pilot monitoring (PM). Both pilots were unfamiliar with simultaneous visual approach procedures into ZZZ1. We were cleared on the visual following traffic to the parallel. Due to heavy glare and haze; FO was unable to maintain visual with the runway and I opted to take controls since I could see the runway and traffic to follow. ATC had assigned a speed without specifying when to slow or when to contact Tower and we crossed the FAF at 170 kts. In the ensuing rush to contact Tower; finish configuring and run the before landing checklist; we ended up making our stabilized call at 500 ft. After touchdown and before rolling through XXR; I heard Tower clear an aircraft for takeoff on XXR and I came to a rapid stop short of XXR. Neither pilot had heard an ATC clearance to land and hold short of any runway or taxiway. We cleared the Runway at Taxiway 1 and taxied to the gate without further incident. Task saturation and tunnel vision led me to fail to call for or execute a go around when it was clearly called for. Unfamiliarity with the visual approach procedures at ZZZ1 and a long duty day were contributing factors to poor decision making and situational awareness. More detailed information on unique procedures into large airports to ensure pilot familiarity; better fatigue mitigation and a continued emphasis on executing a go around when an approach becomes unstable.
Second reporter narrative
After almost a 5 hour maintenance delay at ZZZ2; an integrated drive generator was deferred and we completed one of the two legs that were originally on our schedule before timing out. I was pilot flying (PF) this leg and elected not to brief the arrival into ZZZ1 on the ground due to lots of variables and abnormals for compliance with the MEL on the departure briefing. In the climb-out; I called for Autopilot on to start looking at the arrival and complete a brief then. Both the Captain and I were unfamiliar with ZZZ1. Once we reached cruise; we immediately got a descend via clearance on the ZZZZZ 4 arrival. I had not briefed yet because we were discussing the Visual as we were told to expect that. Being unfamiliar with this; we did not know how to correctly program the FMS. We spent a lot of time trying to figure this out while we were descending down. I eventually briefed the visual backed up with the ILS XXL as I normally would for a visual and briefed a threat to be the Visual procedure as we weren't sure what to expect or how that would go. Descent check was called for at about 13;000 ft. We ultimately ended up high and fast to join the intercept course to the XXL LOC. ATC asked a few times if we had the airport in sight; but it was evening and the sun was setting right in the direction the airport was. There was also a haze layer creating visual illusions and I could not find the runway. As we got closer; I could tell we were getting high and fast and needed to accept the visual to get configured and on glide path. The captain saw the runway and called it in sight and we attempted to slow and get set up. ATC had us at 210 kts. and 5000 ft.; then eventually gave us 180 kts. or greater. We went flaps 8/20 and gear down with full boards to lose altitude. I still did not have the airport in sight looking right into the sun so we swapped controls and I transitioned to pilot monitoring (PM). ATC never handed us off to Tower so once inside the FAF we got fully configured by going flaps 30/45 in one call; and never completed the correct calls for check spoilers; flaps 45 before landing check. As flaps were in transit to 45; I called Tower for landing clearance. During their read back; we got a FLT SPOILER DEPLOY caution and retracted the spoilers. I read back landing clearance and we continued to land. During the roll-out; it appears Tower cleared someone on XR to takeoff before we crossed that intersection. Unsure if we missed a land and hold short clearance; the captain used the breaks to stop before the XR intersection. Tower proceeded to clear traffic to land behind us on XXL; give an aircraft a line up and wait clearance for XXL while we are stopped on the runway with no further instruction. We elected to taxi off and wait for further instructions; and the remainder of the taxi-in was uneventful. Both the captain and I were unfamiliar with ZZZ1; their arrivals and charted visuals. Fatigue definitely played a role as this was already into our 2 hour extension period from a reflow on a 13.5 hour duty day. The short flight was a threat and did not give us enough time to brief and prepare for the visual. Neither of us were fully clear on the procedures involved with the charted visuals and how the FMS should be set up/used. ATC was nearly pressuring us to report the airport in sight so they could clear us for the visual. At the time; accepting the visual seemed like the only way to get in a position to be stabilized on the approach course because ATC did not give us vectors or lower altitudes to help put us in position. The sun was setting and was shining right at us; and combined with the haze; it was very difficult to find the airport having not been familiar with the area. From the very beginning; we could have asked for delay vectors on the arrival to get caught up and try to understand the charted visual procedures. Then coming in closer; we could have asked for a slower speed to help create time and get configured with at least flaps 8 and 20. Without having the airport in sight; we also could have asked for the ILS but it seemed that everyone else was getting in with the visual so ATC kept asking if we had the airport in sight so they could send us on our way. Once cleared for the visual; it was apparent we were not in a good position but ATC cleared us anyway and we tried to make it work. At this point; it got really hectic and busy; we should have broken off the approach and came back around. We were not stabilized by 1000 ft. which should have been a mandatory go-around. I don't think I ever once considered doing a go-around because of task saturation and tunnel vision to keep the aircraft under control and clear of parallel traffic. I could have also asked the Tower Controller to say again with the landing clearance. Going back to liveATC; it appears the Tower Controller cleared someone to line up and wait on XXR and he told us that there was traffic in position and holding on the intersecting runway; current winds and cleared to land. The only part I heard was the landing clearance; but I was aware he said more. I just did not hear the other parts of the transmission due to the caution coming on at the same time. A little more direction/assistance from ATC would have helped tremendously; but they probably had no way of knowing we were unfamiliar with these procedures. It would also be helpful to have information on our company charts about these procedures; especially since ZZZ3 based crews rarely go to this area. Bottom line; we should have gone around at the latest at 1000 ft. when we were not stabilized.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.