Narrative:

At night we were getting vectored to a downwind to runway 32 pit. Abeam the numbers we were told to keep speed up. Being normally high (6000 ft) this was not unusual. It is typical for approach to keep us high, but extend our downwind at least past the OM. So this is the situation 6000 ft 250 KTS. Realizing the capabilities of this aircraft (D328) it is usually not a big deal to accept visual at about 7-8 mi from tdze. But that night we were asked to turn left (base) around 5 mi, then we were given clearance to descend to 4000 ft. Given the combination of speed/altitude about 2000-3000 ft higher than usual, and the fact it was at night gave us a hand full of work. Captain and I were both trying to slow aircraft, configure in preparation to land and pit has lower dimmed runway lights. Neither of us had realized that things were too fast for us to accept approach. Result was we/I got disoriented, ended up about 1-2 dots away from centerline, and low on glide path. GPWS activated at which time I had realized I was not on course, too low. I believe all this could have been avoided if we were more concentrated on outside flying than trying to slow/descend and comply with checklist all at once. Next time I will be cautious about accepting this type of approach knowing that, or keeping in mind, altitude/speed. At night, that makes it much tougher.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SET UP BY APCH CTLR TOO HIGH AND FAST THE FLC GETS BEHIND, BECOMES DISORIENTED RESULTING IN FLYING BELOW GS AND OFF COURSE DURING APCH TO PIT.

Narrative: AT NIGHT WE WERE GETTING VECTORED TO A DOWNWIND TO RWY 32 PIT. ABEAM THE NUMBERS WE WERE TOLD TO KEEP SPD UP. BEING NORMALLY HIGH (6000 FT) THIS WAS NOT UNUSUAL. IT IS TYPICAL FOR APCH TO KEEP US HIGH, BUT EXTEND OUR DOWNWIND AT LEAST PAST THE OM. SO THIS IS THE SIT 6000 FT 250 KTS. REALIZING THE CAPABILITIES OF THIS ACFT (D328) IT IS USUALLY NOT A BIG DEAL TO ACCEPT VISUAL AT ABOUT 7-8 MI FROM TDZE. BUT THAT NIGHT WE WERE ASKED TO TURN L (BASE) AROUND 5 MI, THEN WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO DSND TO 4000 FT. GIVEN THE COMBINATION OF SPD/ALT ABOUT 2000-3000 FT HIGHER THAN USUAL, AND THE FACT IT WAS AT NIGHT GAVE US A HAND FULL OF WORK. CAPT AND I WERE BOTH TRYING TO SLOW ACFT, CONFIGURE IN PREPARATION TO LAND AND PIT HAS LOWER DIMMED RWY LIGHTS. NEITHER OF US HAD REALIZED THAT THINGS WERE TOO FAST FOR US TO ACCEPT APCH. RESULT WAS WE/I GOT DISORIENTED, ENDED UP ABOUT 1-2 DOTS AWAY FROM CTRLINE, AND LOW ON GLIDE PATH. GPWS ACTIVATED AT WHICH TIME I HAD REALIZED I WAS NOT ON COURSE, TOO LOW. I BELIEVE ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE WERE MORE CONCENTRATED ON OUTSIDE FLYING THAN TRYING TO SLOW/DSND AND COMPLY WITH CHKLIST ALL AT ONCE. NEXT TIME I WILL BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ACCEPTING THIS TYPE OF APCH KNOWING THAT, OR KEEPING IN MIND, ALT/SPD. AT NIGHT, THAT MAKES IT MUCH TOUGHER.

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.