A DC-9 FO WAS CRITICAL OF HIS CAPT'S UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Date: 2008-05 · Aircraft: DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: approach

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

Synopsis

A DC-9 FO WAS CRITICAL OF HIS CAPT'S UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Narrative

CAPT WAS PF BEING RADAR VECTORED ON A R DOWNWIND TO THE RWY WITH ADEQUATE AND REASONABLE SPACING FROM THE RWY. CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE CAPT THEN MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TOWARD THE RWY AND BEGAN A CLOSE-IN AND EXTREMELY UNSTABILIZED VISUAL APCH. THE GPWS ISSUED WARNINGS FOR BOTH SINK RATE AND BANK ANGLE DURING THE APCH. AT 400 FT AGL; THE ACFT WAS IN AN UNCOORD 35 DEG BANK; ENGS UNSPOOLED; VREF +20 KIAS; AND A SINK RATE OF 1200 FPM WITH THE CAPT ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT FOR THE OVERSHOOT OF THE RWY CTRLINE DURING THE TURN; BASE TO FINAL. AT THIS TIME; I BEGAN TO LOUDLY AND VEHEMENTLY EXPRESS MY DISCOMFORT. THE CAPT RESPONDED WITH 'ARE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE? IT'S COMING IN.' THE APCH AND LNDG WERE COMPLETED WITH THE ACFT ATTAINING OUR COMPANY'S PARAMETERS FOR A STABILIZED APCH AT 100 FT AGL. IN THE CHOCKS AT THE GATE; I ASKED THE CAPT WHY HE INSISTED ON MAKING THESE TYPE OF APCHS; AND HE RESPONDED BY MUMBLING SOMETHING ABOUT MISREADING THE WIND?

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