A320 FLT CREW ALLOW THEMSELVES TO FLY AND COMPLETE AN UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Date: 2004-04 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-unstabilized-approach

Synopsis

A320 FLT CREW ALLOW THEMSELVES TO FLY AND COMPLETE AN UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Narrative

APCH WOULD BE LISTED OR MEASURED AS UNSTABLE. ON HIGH DOWNWIND; APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT; AND WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. CONTINUED DOWNWIND UNTIL ABEAM THE OM. ACFT WAS LIGHT AND NOT SLOWING DOWN WELL. WARM DAY WITH LIGHT TURB. QUARTERING TAILWIND ON BASE LEG AND FINAL. DELAYING FLAP EXTENSION SINCE THE AIRSPD WAS ERRATIC DUE TO THE TURB. AT 500 FT; I WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE GS AND 20 KTS FAST. FACED WITH A CLR; DRY AND 11500 FT LONG RWY; CONTINUED THE APCH AND LNDG. LIGHT BRAKING AND REVERSE WITH A NORMAL RWY EXIT AT MID FIELD. THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS APCH WERE: TURB AND TAILWIND; NEW FUEL POLICY; FATIGUE; AND SICK LEAVE TRACKING POLICY. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIP THAT I WAS PLANNED TO ARRIVE WITH OUR FLEET'S MINIMUM PLANNED FUEL. I DID NOTE THAT ON SHORT FINAL THAT WE WERE AT THAT MINIMUM VALUE. WITH THE OVERALL FINANCIAL PROBS OF OUR COMPANY; I BELIEVE THAT THE STRESS HAS INTERRUPTED MY SLEEP PATTERNS. THE PREVIOUS TRIP; AND THIS ONE; HAD EARLY BODY CLOCK WAKE-UPS AND I WAS FATIGUED. OUR COMPANY HAS ESTABLISHED A FORMAL SICK LEAVE TRACKING COMPUTER LOG THAT HAS UNKNOWN PARAMETERS. I HAVE NEVER ABUSED SICK LEAVE; BUT USING SICK LEAVE APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMPANY'S FINANCIAL PROBS. HINDSIGHT TELLS ME THAT I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHEN I AM FATIGUED I NEED TO USE MY SICK LEAVE.

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