A GEAR UP APCH BY AN A320 FLC WHO RECEIVE A GPWS GEAR UP WARNING ON SHORT FINAL AT 750 FT AGL ON FINAL TO RWY 21L AT DTW; MI.

Date: 2002-03 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-wake-vortex-encounter|other-flc-perception-gear-up-apch

Synopsis

A GEAR UP APCH BY AN A320 FLC WHO RECEIVE A GPWS GEAR UP WARNING ON SHORT FINAL AT 750 FT AGL ON FINAL TO RWY 21L AT DTW; MI.

Narrative

GPWS ACTIVATED AT 750 FT FOR LNDG GEAR NOT DOWN. WE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE GEAR AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR FAILURE TO GET THE GEAR DOWN. FIRST; THE COPLT HAD HAND FLOWN THE PATTERN (LOTS OF VECTORING) FROM ABOUT 8000 FT (AUTOTHROTTLES ENGAGED); INCREASING MY WORKLOAD CONSIDERABLY. SECOND; WE WERE BEING VECTORED BEHIND A HVY JET AND HIT MODERATE WAKE TURB AT ABOUT 4000 FT; REQUIRING A PA TO THE PAX. WE WERE ALSO SLOWED TO 150 KTS VERY EARLY IN THE PATTERN; AND THE COPLT CALLED FOR FLAPS 3 DEGS; OUR NORMAL POINT TO ALSO LOWER THE GEAR; BUT DID NOT CALL FOR THE GEAR AS WE WERE TOO FAR OUT. WE WERE ALSO SWITCHED TO THE TWR AND CLRED TO LAND AT ABOUT 12 MI OUT -- A VERY LONG; SLOW FINAL AND OUT OF NORMAL SEQUENCE (RELAX AT LAST). AT ABOUT 1500 FT; THE COPLT CALLED FLAPS FULL; LNDG CHK. (I HAVE 16 YRS IN A DC9 WHERE YOU GET A WARNING FLAPS FULL.) AS I STARTED THE CHKLIST; I WAS DISTR BY SOME VERY LIGHT TURB (THE HVY WAS STILL IN THE BACK OF MY MIND) AND I MISSED OR WAS NOT CONCENTRATING ON THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT ITEM IN THE CHKLIST 'GEAR DOWN AND GREEN.' COMPLACENCY WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THAT WE WERE BOTH TOO COMFORTABLE AT THIS POINT IN THE APCH WITH ALL THE 'DIFFICULT' STUFF BEHIND US. SOMETHING WAS NAGGING AT ME BUT I WAS THINKING IT WAS PROBABLY THE WAKE TURB. I ALWAYS RECHK LIGHTS; GEAR; FLAPS AND SPOILERS BEFORE LNDG; BUT THAT IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD CHKLIST DISCIPLINE. BEING ALERT IS EASY DURING THE DIFFICULT PHASES OF FLT; BUT WE REAFFIRMED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO STAY ALERT DURING THE ENTIRE FLT.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.