B737 flight crew reported receiving a late visual approach clearance from ATC resulting in the aircraft being high for a stabilized approach; then also receiving a EGPWS obstacle alert warning when descending to the ATC assigned altitude. The flight crew climbed back to the correct altitude and continued the approach to landing.
Synopsis
B737 flight crew reported receiving a late visual approach clearance from ATC resulting in the aircraft being high for a stabilized approach; then also receiving a EGPWS obstacle alert warning when descending to the ATC assigned altitude. The flight crew climbed back to the correct altitude and continued the approach to landing.
Narrative
ZZZ Controller clears Flight XXX into obstacle. Flight XXX ZZZ1 to ZZZ. Cleared direct ZZZZZ (fix on ILS XXR; listed at 2800 ft.) descend to 4000 ft. I descend to 4000 ft; 7 miles from ZZZZZ with flaps 1 already extended. I slow from 240 KIAS to 180 KIAS (based on my math 10 kts. per mile). The Captain perceived that we were high. I was not concerned because I was following my 3:1 descent plan. At 3 miles from ZZZZZ I leveled off at 4000 ft. As I slow to 180 KIAS; I finally see the runway. Because we stopped the descent at 4000; we are high. I ask the Captain to ask for Approach Clearance; which they do. The Controller clears us for the approach; approximately 1 mile from ZZZZZ. This was too late of a clearance and without our prompt the Controller forgot to clear us. The Captain suggests asking for s turns; I think I am too high to fix this so I ask for a right 360. Captain relays this to the Controller. The Controller clears us to make a right 360 and descend to 2000 ft. This is too low of a clearance. During the right 360; about 2400 we get an 'Obstacle' aural alert. We climbed to 2800. We again ask for clearance and are cleared for the approach. We meet all stable approach gates and land normally.We had to prompt the Controller 3 times. I should have had the situational awareness that we would be high; I was so focused on my descent plan I did not take into account that the Controller might forget to clear us and by the time I asked the Captain to ask the Controller to clear us we were too high. The Captain exhibited excellent SA; he was aware that we were about to be high and helped point out the runway to me both times. The first error was the Controller did not clear us for the approach in time. The second error was that the Controller cleared us into an unsafe altitude that caused an obstacle aural alert. The error I made was not recognizing the impending high situation by trying to time the descent with no margin for error. The Captain exhibited strong SA the whole time and excellent CRM; he helped me respond to the obstacle quickly.
Second reporter narrative
On arrival to from the North on the arrival ZZZ the Approach Controller gave us direct to ZZZZZ which is the FAF on the ILS XXR and maintain 4000. As we were approaching ZZZZZ we were gear down and flaps 15 and it appeared that we were starting to become high as the GS altitude at ZZZZZ is 2770. We were still at 4000 and the Controller forgot to give us a clearance. As we were receiving our visual approach clearance we were now too high to make a straight in from ZZZZZ at 4000. We requested a 360 degree turn to lose altitude. The Controller approved a right 360 and maintained 2000. As we were halfway through the 360 descending through 2500; we received an 'Obstacle' warning and immediately began correcting until the warning stopped at 2800. We rejoined the localizer and were cleared the visual and landed meeting all the stabilized approach criteria.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.