Narrative:

We were flying a short leg (15 mins) from great falls, mt, to helena, mt. Everyone on the crew was very busy. I was getting ATIS, preparing the told and running the descent and approach checklist. When I finished with my duties I turned my attention up front to monitor the approach. This is when I noticed that the first officer was at 12 DME instead of the 15 DME arc on the approach into helena. I saw the DME increase to 13 DME so I didn't comment on the error. At that time the captain changed his NAVAID to the ILS so I was not able to monitor the DME anymore. We sighted the field and were cleared for the visual approach. The first officer flew the final approach about 15 KTS fast. The captain commented on this, however, the touchdown was at about 3500 of runway remaining. I found out later that most if not all of the 15 DME arc was flown at 12-13 DME. This and the long landing can probably be attributed to the fact that the first officer had not flown in 3 months due to knee surgery (except for requalification). Also contributing was the fact that everyone was a little nervous because we had an FAA safety observer in the jump seat and the task saturation because of the short flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO FLEW WRONG ARC DURING TRANSITION THEN LANDED VERY LONG. FAA OBSERVER ABOARD.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A SHORT LEG (15 MINS) FROM GREAT FALLS, MT, TO HELENA, MT. EVERYONE ON THE CREW WAS VERY BUSY. I WAS GETTING ATIS, PREPARING THE TOLD AND RUNNING THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST. WHEN I FINISHED WITH MY DUTIES I TURNED MY ATTN UP FRONT TO MONITOR THE APCH. THIS IS WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE FO WAS AT 12 DME INSTEAD OF THE 15 DME ARC ON THE APCH INTO HELENA. I SAW THE DME INCREASE TO 13 DME SO I DIDN'T COMMENT ON THE ERROR. AT THAT TIME THE CAPT CHANGED HIS NAVAID TO THE ILS SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO MONITOR THE DME ANYMORE. WE SIGHTED THE FIELD AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE FO FLEW THE FINAL APCH ABOUT 15 KTS FAST. THE CAPT COMMENTED ON THIS, HOWEVER, THE TOUCHDOWN WAS AT ABOUT 3500 OF RWY REMAINING. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE 15 DME ARC WAS FLOWN AT 12-13 DME. THIS AND THE LONG LNDG CAN PROBABLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT THE FO HAD NOT FLOWN IN 3 MONTHS DUE TO KNEE SURGERY (EXCEPT FOR REQUALIFICATION). ALSO CONTRIBUTING WAS THE FACT THAT EVERYONE WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE WE HAD AN FAA SAFETY OBSERVER IN THE JUMP SEAT AND THE TASK SATURATION BECAUSE OF THE SHORT FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.