Captain of an mdt air carrier aircraft made an unstable approach.

Attributes
ACN	266509
Time
Date	199403
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mht
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mht
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	266509
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After breaking out of an overcast I maneuvered for a downwind for runway 24 and decided runway 34, which I was off the end of, would be quicker. I was cleared to land runway 34 and banked towards it. Dropping the gear and flaps, I could see I was high and fast. Instead of breaking off the approach, I began s-turns. Although I landed safely, the whole approach was rushed and unstable and could have caused an accident. Afterwards I reviewed the event and realized that because it was the last flight of the day and I was rushing to catch a flight to get home, I tried to save a few mins and gave up a nice stabilized approach to try and land on a crosswind runway that I was too high and fast for. The steep s-turns and unstabilized format could have been a recipe for disaster had something gone wrong.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MDT ACR ACFT MADE AN UNSTABLE APCH.

Narrative: AFTER BREAKING OUT OF AN OVCST I MANEUVERED FOR A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24 AND DECIDED RWY 34, WHICH I WAS OFF THE END OF, WOULD BE QUICKER. I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 34 AND BANKED TOWARDS IT. DROPPING THE GEAR AND FLAPS, I COULD SEE I WAS HIGH AND FAST. INSTEAD OF BREAKING OFF THE APCH, I BEGAN S-TURNS. ALTHOUGH I LANDED SAFELY, THE WHOLE APCH WAS RUSHED AND UNSTABLE AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. AFTERWARDS I REVIEWED THE EVENT AND REALIZED THAT BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST FLT OF THE DAY AND I WAS RUSHING TO CATCH A FLT TO GET HOME, I TRIED TO SAVE A FEW MINS AND GAVE UP A NICE STABILIZED APCH TO TRY AND LAND ON A XWIND RWY THAT I WAS TOO HIGH AND FAST FOR. THE STEEP S-TURNS AND UNSTABILIZED FORMAT COULD HAVE BEEN A RECIPE FOR DISASTER HAD SOMETHING GONE WRONG.

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.