A320 FLC LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER A DESTABILIZED APCH MADE BY THE PIC WHEN ACCEPTING A VISUAL WITH A HVY HAZE LAYER OUTSIDE THE FAF AT DTW.

Date: 2004-12 · Aircraft: A320

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-crossing-restriction-not-met|deviation-speed-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|ground-incursion-runway|inflight-event-encounter-unstabilized-approach|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-acft-confign

Synopsis

A320 FLC LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER A DESTABILIZED APCH MADE BY THE PIC WHEN ACCEPTING A VISUAL WITH A HVY HAZE LAYER OUTSIDE THE FAF AT DTW.

Narrative

I WAS THE PNF; AND WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 21L AT DETROIT. ATC KEPT US HIGH AND THE CAPT (PF) WAS GOING VERY FAST; APPROX 210 KTS. THE SUN WAS STARTING TO GET LOW ON THE HORIZON; AND WAS DIRECTLY IN OUR EYES. ON TOP OF THAT; THERE WAS A VERY HVY HAZE LAYER. WHILE BEING VECTORED ON A L BASE FOR RWY 21L; THE DETROIT APCH CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD IT IN SIGHT SINCE HE WAS THE PF; WHICH HE REPLIED 'NO; NOT YET.' DTW APCH CTL THEN ADVISED US THAT WE HAD B757 TFC ON OUR R SIDE THAT WAS LNDG THE PARALLEL RWY. NOW I WAS BUSY SEARCHING FOR THE B757 TFC AS WELL. APPROX OVER PUKLE INTXN; WHICH IS THE FAF FOR RWY 21L; DTW APCH CTL ASKED US GAIN IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT; AND REPLIED IF NOT; THEN HE WOULD NEED TO BREAK US OFF OF THE APCH AND VECTOR US BACK FOR AN ILS APCH THE CAPT THEN REPLIED; 'YES HE HAD IT IN SIGHT;' AND I RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO DTW APCH CTL. THE DTW APCH CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 2L1. AT APPROX PUKLE INTXN WE WERE ABOUT 5000 FT AND ABOUT 200 KTS. THE RECOMMENDED ALT ON THE GS AT PUKLE INTXN AS INDICATED ON THE ILS APCH CHART FOR RWY 21L IS 2600 FT. WE WERE ABOUT TWICE AS HIGH AND GOING WAY TOO FAST. IMMEDIATELY; THE CAPT DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT; APPLIED FULL SPD BRAKES; AND CALLED FOR LNDG GEAR DOWN. AS SOON AS THE SPD PERMITTED HE CALLED FOR FLAPS TO 3 DEGS; AND A LNDG CHK. SINCE THE SPD BRAKES WERE STILL FULLY EXTENDED; I WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE LNDG CHK; AND WAS FIXATED ON THE CAPT'S ABILITY TO SAFELY CONTINUE THIS APCH. THE CAPT WAS FIGHTING THE R XWIND; WHICH SEEMED TO BE BLOWING US FURTHER AND FURTHER TO THE L OF COURSE. HE WAS VERY HIGH ON THE PROFILE WITH A FULL GS DEFLECTION; AND WE WERE DSNDING AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH RATE OF DSCNT. AT 1000 FT; I MADE THE APPROPRIATE CALLOUT; BUT WE WERE STILL NOT ON PROFILE; WITH A FULL DEFLECTION OF THE GS; AND STILL L OF COURSE; BUT GETTING CLOSER TO THE RWY CTRLINE. AT APPROX 500 FT THE FLT DIRECTORS FINALLY CAPTURED THE LOC AND THE GS; AND WE CONTINUED THE LNDG. HOWEVER; IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS; UNSTABILIZED APCH; THE DTW APCH CTLR FORGOT TO HAND US OVER TO THE DTW TWR CTLR; AND BOTH THE CAPT AND I FAILED TO SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ AND OBTAIN A LNDG CLRNC. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND EXITING THE RWY; THE CAPT AND I REALIZED WE HAD JUST LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS FOR 2 REASONS: THE FIRST REASON WAS THE FAILURE OF THE APCH CTLR TO FORGET US AND NOT XFER US TO THE TWR FREQ. THE SECOND REASON; THE CAPT AND I FORGOT TO CALL THE TWR WAS BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO CAPTURE THE APCH PROFILE; AND I WAS TOO BUSY WATCHING HIM TO MAKE SURE HE DIDN'T GET US INTO AN UNSAFE AND UNRECOVERABLE CONDITION. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE; THE CAPT THEN PHONED THE DTW CTL TWR; TALKED IT OVER WITH THEM; AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE.

More incidents for this aircraft family →

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