Air carrier large transport flew an unstabilized approach to san on a holiday night. GPWS activated.

Attributes
ACN	132100
Time
Date	198912
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : san tower : ewr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10500
ASRS Report	132100
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared for the visual approach to runway 27. Approach told us to cross the mission bay 084 degree radial at or above 5000' MSL, then cleared for the visual approach to runway 27. A 3:1 descent rate works great on our airplane. But instead of flying downwind 15 mi before turning base leg (usually approach asks you to turn base sooner), pilots will turn base approximately 10 mi from the runway so they will cross the 084 degree radial and be allowed a further descent to get back on profile. This is what the pilot flying did. What happened next was an unstable descent (steeper than normal) to get back on profile and the PAPI. When we got closer to the ground the GPWS activated due to the steep descent. The aircraft got on the PAPI system at approximately 1/2 mi final and the landing was within touchdown zone and uneventful. Many pilots I fly with who go to this airport regularly have at least one story of a steep descent into this airport. I think the crossing restriction (084 degree radial at or above 5000' MSL) contributes to these unstable apches. Looking at hindsight, our course of action should have been missed approach with vectors back around to try again!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FLEW AN UNSTABILIZED APCH TO SAN ON A HOLIDAY NIGHT. GPWS ACTIVATED.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27. APCH TOLD US TO CROSS THE MISSION BAY 084 DEG RADIAL AT OR ABOVE 5000' MSL, THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27. A 3:1 DSCNT RATE WORKS GREAT ON OUR AIRPLANE. BUT INSTEAD OF FLYING DOWNWIND 15 MI BEFORE TURNING BASE LEG (USUALLY APCH ASKS YOU TO TURN BASE SOONER), PLTS WILL TURN BASE APPROX 10 MI FROM THE RWY SO THEY WILL CROSS THE 084 DEG RADIAL AND BE ALLOWED A FURTHER DSCNT TO GET BACK ON PROFILE. THIS IS WHAT THE PLT FLYING DID. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS AN UNSTABLE DSCNT (STEEPER THAN NORMAL) TO GET BACK ON PROFILE AND THE PAPI. WHEN WE GOT CLOSER TO THE GND THE GPWS ACTIVATED DUE TO THE STEEP DSCNT. THE ACFT GOT ON THE PAPI SYSTEM AT APPROX 1/2 MI FINAL AND THE LNDG WAS WITHIN TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND UNEVENTFUL. MANY PLTS I FLY WITH WHO GO TO THIS ARPT REGULARLY HAVE AT LEAST ONE STORY OF A STEEP DSCNT INTO THIS ARPT. I THINK THE XING RESTRICTION (084 DEG RADIAL AT OR ABOVE 5000' MSL) CONTRIBUTES TO THESE UNSTABLE APCHES. LOOKING AT HINDSIGHT, OUR COURSE OF ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN MISSED APCH WITH VECTORS BACK AROUND TO TRY AGAIN!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.