Narrative:

Just as we leveled at 10000 ft we switched to iah approach. Were given a 115 degree heading from hogie for runway 14L. After turning 115 degrees, I was in heading mode and selected vette, which I had programmed for 190 KTS and 3000 ft. I saw I was some 2200 ft high on the vertical deviation. This is not abnormal for this arrival and runway. We were cleared to 4000 ft and I selected to level change the altitude at 250 KTS. Vertical deviation started to decrease and I checked vette on the HSI and said I would be slightly north of it. Vertical deviation decrease to 1100-1200 ft high, I started to slow and received clearance to maintain 2000 ft and cleared for the approach. I still had a 20 ft tailwind so at 230 KTS called for flaps 1, followed by flaps 2, landing gear down, flaps 5 degrees at 220 KTS, flaps 10 degrees at 210 KTS, landing checklist. Landing checklist was completed, localizer intercepted and I was at 210 KTS with a vertical deviation of 800 ft high based on vette. I maintained 210 KTS to get back into the altitude window. Passed vette about 500 ft high, took the aircraft off the autoplt and autothrottles slowed to 195 KTS and called for flaps 15 degrees. I assumed with this setting I would capture the GS and check the vertical deviation at marbe (FAF) which was still in the 400 ft high range. I crossed marbe about 400 ft high, broke out of the overcast and saw the airport. Slowed to 185 KTS and called for flaps 25 degrees, flaps 30 degree, felt a slight ballooning as flaps were moved and before I could ask the copilot to set target, we started to get a 'sink rate' from the geographical position. I assumed the aircraft was in gear down and flaps 30 degrees (in reality it was gear down and flaps 15 degrees) and checked my descent rate. It was about 1500 ft down and I was at 1500 ft AGL so I slowed the rate to approximately 1000 ft, with the power at idle and the sink rate continued. I believe at this time we both got preoccupied with the sink rate calls. I slowed to about 900 FPM descent, visually I could see that I was high, figured the tailwind was still effecting the aircraft. I crossed the beginning of the approach lights some 300 ft high, knew I would not land in the touchdown zone, but was sure I would land in the first third of the 12000 ft runway. Things were a little fast, started an early flare and then the copilot announced 20 KTS fast. In the flare I started to get a ballooning action on the aircraft and saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I asked the copilot what he was doing. No reply. Landed about half way down the runway and the last high speed exit was rapidly approaching. Instead of panic breaking and maximum reverse, I elected to use normal breaking and less than normal reverse to make a normal, safe exit at the end of the runway. On taxi in I asked if the copilot went to 40 degree flaps, and he stated that he went to 25 degree then 30 degrees. I realized what had happened. What I assumed the confign of the aircraft wasn't and all that I did was parallel the GS to the runway, some 300 ft high and never captured it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BOEING 737'S LONG LNDG IS RELATED TO A RESERVE CREW'S 'QUICK CALL' (INDICATING TIME CONSTRAINTS AND PRESSURE), AND AN OVERALL LACK OF CREW COORD AND INTRA COCKPIT COM.

Narrative: JUST AS WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT WE SWITCHED TO IAH APCH. WERE GIVEN A 115 DEG HDG FROM HOGIE FOR RWY 14L. AFTER TURNING 115 DEGS, I WAS IN HDG MODE AND SELECTED VETTE, WHICH I HAD PROGRAMMED FOR 190 KTS AND 3000 FT. I SAW I WAS SOME 2200 FT HIGH ON THE VERT DEV. THIS IS NOT ABNORMAL FOR THIS ARR AND RWY. WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT AND I SELECTED TO LEVEL CHANGE THE ALT AT 250 KTS. VERT DEV STARTED TO DECREASE AND I CHKED VETTE ON THE HSI AND SAID I WOULD BE SLIGHTLY N OF IT. VERT DEV DECREASE TO 1100-1200 FT HIGH, I STARTED TO SLOW AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. I STILL HAD A 20 FT TAILWIND SO AT 230 KTS CALLED FOR FLAPS 1, FOLLOWED BY FLAPS 2, LNDG GEAR DOWN, FLAPS 5 DEGS AT 220 KTS, FLAPS 10 DEGS AT 210 KTS, LNDG CHKLIST. LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, LOC INTERCEPTED AND I WAS AT 210 KTS WITH A VERT DEV OF 800 FT HIGH BASED ON VETTE. I MAINTAINED 210 KTS TO GET BACK INTO THE ALT WINDOW. PASSED VETTE ABOUT 500 FT HIGH, TOOK THE ACFT OFF THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES SLOWED TO 195 KTS AND CALLED FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS. I ASSUMED WITH THIS SETTING I WOULD CAPTURE THE GS AND CHK THE VERT DEV AT MARBE (FAF) WHICH WAS STILL IN THE 400 FT HIGH RANGE. I CROSSED MARBE ABOUT 400 FT HIGH, BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AND SAW THE ARPT. SLOWED TO 185 KTS AND CALLED FOR FLAPS 25 DEGS, FLAPS 30 DEG, FELT A SLIGHT BALLOONING AS FLAPS WERE MOVED AND BEFORE I COULD ASK THE COPLT TO SET TARGET, WE STARTED TO GET A 'SINK RATE' FROM THE GEOGRAPHICAL POS. I ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS IN GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 30 DEGS (IN REALITY IT WAS GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 15 DEGS) AND CHKED MY DSCNT RATE. IT WAS ABOUT 1500 FT DOWN AND I WAS AT 1500 FT AGL SO I SLOWED THE RATE TO APPROX 1000 FT, WITH THE PWR AT IDLE AND THE SINK RATE CONTINUED. I BELIEVE AT THIS TIME WE BOTH GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH THE SINK RATE CALLS. I SLOWED TO ABOUT 900 FPM DSCNT, VISUALLY I COULD SEE THAT I WAS HIGH, FIGURED THE TAILWIND WAS STILL EFFECTING THE ACFT. I CROSSED THE BEGINNING OF THE APCH LIGHTS SOME 300 FT HIGH, KNEW I WOULD NOT LAND IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE, BUT WAS SURE I WOULD LAND IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 12000 FT RWY. THINGS WERE A LITTLE FAST, STARTED AN EARLY FLARE AND THEN THE COPLT ANNOUNCED 20 KTS FAST. IN THE FLARE I STARTED TO GET A BALLOONING ACTION ON THE ACFT AND SAW MOVEMENT OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE. I ASKED THE COPLT WHAT HE WAS DOING. NO REPLY. LANDED ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RWY AND THE LAST HIGH SPD EXIT WAS RAPIDLY APCHING. INSTEAD OF PANIC BREAKING AND MAX REVERSE, I ELECTED TO USE NORMAL BREAKING AND LESS THAN NORMAL REVERSE TO MAKE A NORMAL, SAFE EXIT AT THE END OF THE RWY. ON TAXI IN I ASKED IF THE COPLT WENT TO 40 DEG FLAPS, AND HE STATED THAT HE WENT TO 25 DEG THEN 30 DEGS. I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WHAT I ASSUMED THE CONFIGN OF THE ACFT WASN'T AND ALL THAT I DID WAS PARALLEL THE GS TO THE RWY, SOME 300 FT HIGH AND NEVER CAPTURED IT.

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.