Narrative:

While making a visual approach to runway 28R at sfo, my aircraft was unstable at 500 ft. My speed was high. The situation was caused by my failure to pick up on an increasing tailwind. The approach was flown to the ground, landed in the touchdown area and taxied off of the runway. An FAA inspector was riding on the jump seat and critiqued the approach and stated several times that the matter was closed with his verbal critique. He commented on the nice landing, and I took no further action. Supplemental information from acn 574550: I noticed we had approximately a 15 KT tailwind and advised captain that he should be careful because it would 'reel him in.' I don't know if he responded because at the same time ATC called out traffic on a right downwind for runway 28R. Our attention was divided between flying the airplane and keeping the traffic in sight. Once at the gate, the FAA inspector asked me what our parameters were at 500 ft. I told him where I thought we were and he agreed that we were close to that and that we needed to pay closer attention to the stabilized criteria. We agreed with him and told him that he used his captain's authority/authorized to continue because he felt it safer to land at that point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW IS CRITIQUED BY A JUMP SEATING FAA INSPECTOR, AFTER CAPT LANDS ACFT FROM AN UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Narrative: WHILE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R AT SFO, MY ACFT WAS UNSTABLE AT 500 FT. MY SPD WAS HIGH. THE SIT WAS CAUSED BY MY FAILURE TO PICK UP ON AN INCREASING TAILWIND. THE APCH WAS FLOWN TO THE GND, LANDED IN THE TOUCHDOWN AREA AND TAXIED OFF OF THE RWY. AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS RIDING ON THE JUMP SEAT AND CRITIQUED THE APCH AND STATED SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE MATTER WAS CLOSED WITH HIS VERBAL CRITIQUE. HE COMMENTED ON THE NICE LNDG, AND I TOOK NO FURTHER ACTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 574550: I NOTICED WE HAD APPROX A 15 KT TAILWIND AND ADVISED CAPT THAT HE SHOULD BE CAREFUL BECAUSE IT WOULD 'REEL HIM IN.' I DON'T KNOW IF HE RESPONDED BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME ATC CALLED OUT TFC ON A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 28R. OUR ATTN WAS DIVIDED BTWN FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND KEEPING THE TFC IN SIGHT. ONCE AT THE GATE, THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKED ME WHAT OUR PARAMETERS WERE AT 500 FT. I TOLD HIM WHERE I THOUGHT WE WERE AND HE AGREED THAT WE WERE CLOSE TO THAT AND THAT WE NEEDED TO PAY CLOSER ATTN TO THE STABILIZED CRITERIA. WE AGREED WITH HIM AND TOLD HIM THAT HE USED HIS CAPT'S AUTH TO CONTINUE BECAUSE HE FELT IT SAFER TO LAND AT THAT POINT.

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.