A FO; NEW TO THE B757; MANAGES TO CREATE AN EXCITING EVENT WHILE ARMING HIS AUTOPLT TO CAPTURE A GS FROM ABOVE DURING AN ILS APCH TO ONT; CA.

Narrative

NEW FO ON ACFT; NO PREVIOUS TURBOJET EXPERIENCE (AS PIC OR SIC); NEW TO AUTOMATION; FMC; ETC. FATIGUE A FACTOR; DUTY DAY STARTED 7 HRS PRIOR (AB00). BACKSIDE OF CLOCK FLYING; INADEQUATE REST DUE TO BODY BEING ON DAY CYCLE PAST 3 DAYS AND LITTLE SLEEP BEFORE STARTING TRIP (AROUND 2 HRS). WX WAS IMC; BUT WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS AT TIME. ATC KEEPS ACFT HIGH COMING OVER MOUNTAINS; THEN GIVES RAPID DSCNT CLRNC TO VECTOR ALT (9000 FT MSL TO 4200 FT MSL). WAS ON VECTORS FOR LOC; SPD 250 KIAS. ATC GAVE APCH CLRNC; SAID TO SLOW TO FINAL APCH SPD. DIALED IN SLOWER SPD TO START CONFIGURING (200 KTS) AND EXTENDED GEAR. MADE MISTAKE OF ARMING APCH MODE WHILE GS WAS ERRATIC AND WE WERE ABOVE IT. SHOULD HAVE JUST ARMED LOC UNTIL SLOWED AND WENT BELOW GS FOR BETTER CAPTURE. AUTOPLT THEN CAPTURED GS FROM ABOVE AND STARTED INCREASING DSCNT RATE RAPIDLY. DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT. FOR SOME REASON AIRSPD COMMAND BUG WINDOW OPENED AND AUTOTHROTTLES ADVANCED; INCREASING AIRSPD FURTHER. AIRSPD INCREASED TO 280-290 KIAS; ATC BROKE US OFF APCH AND GAVE US A 360 DEG TURN. TRIED DISENGAGING APCH MODE 2 TIMES BEFORE SUCCESSFUL. FINALLY GOT ACFT STABILIZED AND SLOWED PROPERLY FOR APCH; USED AUTOMATION AGAIN AND ALL WENT WELL. A MAJOR FACTOR WAS INEXPERIENCE IN TYPE AND COMPLEXITY OF AUTOMATION. COULD HAVE STARTED SLOWING DOWN EARLIER TO GIVE MYSELF MORE TIME TO REACT. THE AUTOMATION CAN BE CONFUSING WHEN THINGS START UNRAVELING. STILL IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO TURN IT OFF AND REVERT TO THE BASICS IF NECESSARY.