Narrative:

Inbound to ont on ziggy 3, we were held up high for crossing traffic prior to majic. Cleared to cross hitop at 13000 ft, and we did. After clearance to 8000 ft and vector for ILS, we were above descent profile for our course (it was ont). I felt like the captain was not being aggressive enough in his descent. I did not say anything until we were at about 10000 ft and about 17 mi to go. I then said, 'we're really going to have to bonzai this one.' in retrospect, my statement was obscure, however, the captain got the message. He put the gear down at that point (the flaps were already at 5 degrees). After gear down, however, I still knew that he had to be much more aggressive, if this approach was going to work. In fact, I thought we were facing a go around at no later than 1000 ft. At about 8000 ft, the controller expressed concern about our descent, and asked our intentions. I asked the captain what he wanted to do. We arrived at petis approximately 2000-2500 ft high. After some hesitation, he asked me to ask for s-turns. I asked ATC and he issued a vector south of course. At about this time the captain started asking for more flaps, 15 degrees then 25 degrees. Our airspeed was a little high but within all limits. ATC then issued a vector of 330 degrees to fly through the localizer. As we turned northwest, a TA was issued by ATC. It was in the direction we were turning and at an altitude that made him a factor. So my eyes went outside. I was feeling apprehensive at this point because I thought the s-turns were getting too aggressive and still thought we were too high to be successful. ATC must have agreed, because he offered a 360 degree turn. The captain opted to continue with the s-turns. I still had my head up looking for the traffic when the captain called flaps 30 degrees and I heard the 'bank angle' alert. That brought me back inside to the gauges (our heading was 360 degrees). Right then the captain was correcting and starting a turn back toward the localizer. I had put my hand on the flap handle, but when I looked at the airspeed it was in the yellow band on the high side. I did not move the handle, and simultaneously the captain noticed, as well, and belayed the flap command and slowly corrected the airspeed. As we crossed through the localizer (on a vector) to the south, I saw the airport and pointed it out to the captain. He turned toward final and, with speed in control, asked for flaps 30 degrees and 40 degrees. Much to my surprise, by 1000 ft AGL we configured and were in a position to land in a stable manner. We landed without further incident. There was a company check airman in the jumpseat. I think his presence had an impact on the event, because I didn't want to bring attention to the captain's descent planning. I didn't realize that until later. Although I did give an obscure hint at 10000 ft, I regret not saying more and in a direct manner. I should have expressed my concern about his initial lack of aggressiveness in descending. And then, later suggested that we accept a 360 degree turn or something along those lines, because that's what I thought we should do at the time. I'm normally very assertive, so I surprised myself. In the future, I will disregard the 'status' of the jumpseater and speak up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B737, INTIMIDATED BY PRESENCE OF CHK AIRMAN AND DRIVEN BY GET IT DONEITUS, GET HIGH AND FAST ON ARR TO ONT AND PRESS ON REGARDLESS OF RESULTING UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Narrative: INBOUND TO ONT ON ZIGGY 3, WE WERE HELD UP HIGH FOR XING TFC PRIOR TO MAJIC. CLRED TO CROSS HITOP AT 13000 FT, AND WE DID. AFTER CLRNC TO 8000 FT AND VECTOR FOR ILS, WE WERE ABOVE DSCNT PROFILE FOR OUR COURSE (IT WAS ONT). I FELT LIKE THE CAPT WAS NOT BEING AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH IN HIS DSCNT. I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING UNTIL WE WERE AT ABOUT 10000 FT AND ABOUT 17 MI TO GO. I THEN SAID, 'WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO BONZAI THIS ONE.' IN RETROSPECT, MY STATEMENT WAS OBSCURE, HOWEVER, THE CAPT GOT THE MESSAGE. HE PUT THE GEAR DOWN AT THAT POINT (THE FLAPS WERE ALREADY AT 5 DEGS). AFTER GEAR DOWN, HOWEVER, I STILL KNEW THAT HE HAD TO BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE, IF THIS APCH WAS GOING TO WORK. IN FACT, I THOUGHT WE WERE FACING A GAR AT NO LATER THAN 1000 FT. AT ABOUT 8000 FT, THE CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT OUR DSCNT, AND ASKED OUR INTENTIONS. I ASKED THE CAPT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. WE ARRIVED AT PETIS APPROX 2000-2500 FT HIGH. AFTER SOME HESITATION, HE ASKED ME TO ASK FOR S-TURNS. I ASKED ATC AND HE ISSUED A VECTOR S OF COURSE. AT ABOUT THIS TIME THE CAPT STARTED ASKING FOR MORE FLAPS, 15 DEGS THEN 25 DEGS. OUR AIRSPD WAS A LITTLE HIGH BUT WITHIN ALL LIMITS. ATC THEN ISSUED A VECTOR OF 330 DEGS TO FLY THROUGH THE LOC. AS WE TURNED NW, A TA WAS ISSUED BY ATC. IT WAS IN THE DIRECTION WE WERE TURNING AND AT AN ALT THAT MADE HIM A FACTOR. SO MY EYES WENT OUTSIDE. I WAS FEELING APPREHENSIVE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE S-TURNS WERE GETTING TOO AGGRESSIVE AND STILL THOUGHT WE WERE TOO HIGH TO BE SUCCESSFUL. ATC MUST HAVE AGREED, BECAUSE HE OFFERED A 360 DEG TURN. THE CAPT OPTED TO CONTINUE WITH THE S-TURNS. I STILL HAD MY HEAD UP LOOKING FOR THE TFC WHEN THE CAPT CALLED FLAPS 30 DEGS AND I HEARD THE 'BANK ANGLE' ALERT. THAT BROUGHT ME BACK INSIDE TO THE GAUGES (OUR HDG WAS 360 DEGS). RIGHT THEN THE CAPT WAS CORRECTING AND STARTING A TURN BACK TOWARD THE LOC. I HAD PUT MY HAND ON THE FLAP HANDLE, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE AIRSPD IT WAS IN THE YELLOW BAND ON THE HIGH SIDE. I DID NOT MOVE THE HANDLE, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CAPT NOTICED, AS WELL, AND BELAYED THE FLAP COMMAND AND SLOWLY CORRECTED THE AIRSPD. AS WE CROSSED THROUGH THE LOC (ON A VECTOR) TO THE S, I SAW THE ARPT AND POINTED IT OUT TO THE CAPT. HE TURNED TOWARD FINAL AND, WITH SPD IN CTL, ASKED FOR FLAPS 30 DEGS AND 40 DEGS. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, BY 1000 FT AGL WE CONFIGURED AND WERE IN A POS TO LAND IN A STABLE MANNER. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE WAS A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN IN THE JUMPSEAT. I THINK HIS PRESENCE HAD AN IMPACT ON THE EVENT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING ATTN TO THE CAPT'S DSCNT PLANNING. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL LATER. ALTHOUGH I DID GIVE AN OBSCURE HINT AT 10000 FT, I REGRET NOT SAYING MORE AND IN A DIRECT MANNER. I SHOULD HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT HIS INITIAL LACK OF AGGRESSIVENESS IN DSNDING. AND THEN, LATER SUGGESTED THAT WE ACCEPT A 360 DEG TURN OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT WE SHOULD DO AT THE TIME. I'M NORMALLY VERY ASSERTIVE, SO I SURPRISED MYSELF. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL DISREGARD THE 'STATUS' OF THE JUMPSEATER AND SPEAK UP.

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.