2022-09 · NASA ASRS report 1934023
B787 air carrier flight crew reported unstabilized approach.
The Captain was the Pilot Flying (PF). The First Officer (FO) was the Pilot Monitoring (PM). I was the Relief First Officer in the primary (center) jump seat. A Relief Captain was in the 2nd observer's seat. The Relief Captain had a limited view. Each of us most likely has a different vantage point of the events of this approach and landing.This flight was in the evening and we were in day VFR conditions with an ILS approach in ZZZZ after a more than a 14 hour flight. We planned and briefed for an ILS/visual to XXL in ZZZZ at altitude. Usually; we request to switch from XXL to YYR with approach control and they honor the request. We discussed doing this. Upon checking in with Approach Control and requesting XXL; ATC advised us to expect XXR. The Captain and First Officer reprogrammed the FMS and briefed YYR. As we were getting close to the airport; the controllers asked if we wanted XXL. The Captain said to the FO that they would accept YYL. The FO programmed the FMC again and verified the minimums were changed correctly. This led to the PM FO being in the box heads down for a moment and the PF and PM doing a quick rebrief of the newly accepted runway assignment. This may have led to the string of events that followed on the approach.ATC gave us a vector to intercept the ILS YYL but it was a late vector and it was apparent we would fly through the localizer. It was a bad vector by ATC. The Captain turned off the autopilot and the auto throttles were still engaged but in hold mode and were at the idle position. Our vertical mode was FLCH and our lateral mode was heading select. The approach mode was armed LOC and G/S. The Captain made a left turn to join the localizer. As we flew through the localizer the Captain increased the bank angle possible in an attempt to help join the localizer. Bank angle rapidly increased beyond 30 degrees and the PFD turned amber in the area of the sky pointer. We heard the GPWS warning 'bank angle'. I am not sure if we exceeded 45 degrees; but the airplane's bank angle was quickly reduced to 30 degrees or less before anyone could say anything. I don't know if it was the PF or the airplane's protection system that accomplished this reduction in bank angle. We did rejoin the localizer and our clearance was to descend to 8;000 ft. until established; cleared for the ILS YYL. We were below the glideslope but above 8;000 ft. descending. Airport elevation is 5;558 ft. At one point in this approach; the airspeed was getting below the flap limit speed and the FO PM asked the Captain if they wanted more flaps. The Captain commanded a flap setting of 20. Once again we slowed below the flap limit speed while descending and I the Relief Pilot said airspeed at least once. The airspeed was at a minimum of 10 knots below flap speed and may have been quite a bit more before eventually being corrected. The Captain was flying the aircraft outside of the flight path commanded by the pitch bar on the flight director. We never slowed to the point where the autothrottles woke up and went in to speed mode. I told the Captain that [it is in] FLCH and the autothrottles were at idle; indicating they needed to adjust [the] pitch for the proper airspeed or manually add thrust. There was a heightened level of focus by myself on this incorrect airspeed for our configuration. It was corrected but may have been below the flap limit speed more than once.We did intercept the glideslope and the autothrottles went to SPD mode; again controlling the airspeed. We were fully configured and the landing checklist was complete but the Captain had still not asked for the airspeed to be set to our target approach speed. The PM FO did after an appropriate amount of time; ask the Captain if they wanted to set approach speed. At that point the Captain did ask for Target Speed. The approach was on profile from that point. The Captain did start the flare high. [The aircraft] did float for some distance. The Relief Captain did saysomething to the effect of just put it down. This is a long runway but at a high altitude. We floated some more. I considered giving the go-around command but in that split second I paused for the following reasons - I did not want to interject more variables into the flare. The low altitude we had been at for a while in the flare and the possibility of a balked landing go around; the length of runway remaining (even though we were at a high-altitude airport.) My personal assessment initially was that a landing may be the safest course of action versus an attempted go-around considering the previous events on the approach and our imminent touchdown due to our decaying energy state. As I continued to assess a go-around command; we did touch down. I believe we touched down past the touchdown zone.
The events occurred while flying the approach into ZZZZ. This was my first time actually being the Pilot Flying (PF) though I've been there three other times as the Relief Captain. We initially briefed the ILS Y to XXL before the TOD; even though the ATIS said the ILS W to YYR. The rest of the crew stated that at that time of the evening; we usually get to switch to the XXL. Sounded like a great plan. But once we talked to the Arrival Controller he reiterated the ILS to YYR. So the Pilot Not Flying (PNF) built the YYR ILS in the box. And I subsequently briefed the ILS to said runway. When the Approach Controller took over we again asked for XXL. He stated they were using XXL for departures and YYR for approaches. So I completely switched my brain to YYR. The Approach Controller gave us free speed and a right turn onto the downwind. The approach controller also gave us a descent to 9;000 ft.; the initial approach altitude. Not sure how long we stayed on downwind but then he says; would you still like to switch to XXL. PNF looks at me; I answer yes; he confirms yes to the controller and now we're scrambling to put in the new runway; brief and change the DA. He has us tight to the XXL downwind with a wind also out of the northwest blowing us even tighter.We are also 1;000 ft. higher for this runway and given a tight turn to intercept the final; and cleared for the ILS Y to XXL. It was at that time I felt compelled to click off the autopilot and hand fly it onto final. I believe this is also when the authothrottles were kicked off. I commenced the turn and in my haste to catch the course; I got a momentary 'BANK ANGLE' EICAS. I corrected and then the controller gave us another heading because we are going through the final approach course. We're high; so I start down and continue to configure. I also drop the gear and put the flaps to 20. The speed got slightly slow. I saw it 5 knots slow while one of the relief pilots thought it was much slower. But it was slow compared to the speed set in the MCP; not the flap setting. I get my final flaps and drive to the GS intercept from below. By this point the aircraft was stable; above 1;500 ft. AGL. We rode the glideslope down; on speed; on course. I shifted my aimpoint slightly and that coupled with the altitude of the airport (5;558 ft.) caused me to land a little past the touchdown zone. The runway is 1X;XXX ft. long. I verbalize to the crew; we're going to land little long. We touch down and exit the runway at one of the briefed taxiways. Taxi to gate and debrief mistakes and errors.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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