Narrative:

Performing CAT ii check per maintenance request on autoplt #2 only due to autoplt #1 MEL'ed inoperative. Autoland light test tested ok. WX clear, 10 mi visibility, tower winds 130 degrees at 7 KTS. On downwind, I gave mem tower PIREP that winds at 3000 ft or 4000 ft (can't remember which) were 180 degrees at 30 KTS (which meant tailwind for landing runway 36R, which was in use). Upon clearing us for runway 36R ILS approach, approach control stated 'maintain 170 KTS until mcghe.' I (captain) stated that we would have to start to slow just prior to that. Approach control then stated that there was no traffic behind us and 'speed our discretion.' I believe we crossed mcghe at about 155 KTS, but I can't remember exactly. All normal through localizer capture and GS capture and we were completing configuring with flaps and gear and performing before landing checklists, when we got egpws 'below GS' alert due to autoplt excessive forward pitch pressure and executed missed approach. Simultaneously, I (captain) am pretty sure ATC, mem tower, advised us that they had a 'terrain alert' on us and I acknowledged same. The tower volume on this advisory was weak, maybe 30% or 40% of normal volume, thus the slight doubt. First officer did not hear this ATC alert due to low volume and because of the GPWS 'below GS' alert and his focusing on the missed approach. Slight picture confirmed that we were low. After missed approach executed, normal approach and landing again to runway 36R and FMS wind readout at 500 ft was about 145 degrees at 25 KTS (but there is typically a lag in this readout), and tower still reporting wind 130 degrees at 7 KTS. Human performance-wise, I think that I would have caught the GS deviation even sooner if we had not had the minor distraction of when at 'GS STAR,' GS intercept, I set 5000 ft in fcp for ILS missed approach altitude per SOP, and first officer queried as to whether we shouldn't insert 2000 ft for missed approach since we were in visual conditions. I stated no, that we were 'cleared for ILS' thus the ILS missed approach altitude was required. I then left 5000 ft, set for possible missed approach. This above interchange took a few, or several, seconds during an already busy time of configuring flaps and gear and before landing checklist, thus diminishing both myself and first officer's instrument monitoring duties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A FORWARD PITCH DOWN ON THE AUTOPLT, AN A310'S GPWS AND TWR'S MSAW ALERTS TEST FLT CREW TO PERFORM A MISSED APCH WHEN UNDER GS ON THE RWY 36R APCH TO MEM.

Narrative: PERFORMING CAT II CHK PER MAINT REQUEST ON AUTOPLT #2 ONLY DUE TO AUTOPLT #1 MEL'ED INOP. AUTOLAND LIGHT TEST TESTED OK. WX CLR, 10 MI VISIBILITY, TWR WINDS 130 DEGS AT 7 KTS. ON DOWNWIND, I GAVE MEM TWR PIREP THAT WINDS AT 3000 FT OR 4000 FT (CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH) WERE 180 DEGS AT 30 KTS (WHICH MEANT TAILWIND FOR LNDG RWY 36R, WHICH WAS IN USE). UPON CLRING US FOR RWY 36R ILS APCH, APCH CTL STATED 'MAINTAIN 170 KTS UNTIL MCGHE.' I (CAPT) STATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO START TO SLOW JUST PRIOR TO THAT. APCH CTL THEN STATED THAT THERE WAS NO TFC BEHIND US AND 'SPD OUR DISCRETION.' I BELIEVE WE CROSSED MCGHE AT ABOUT 155 KTS, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY. ALL NORMAL THROUGH LOC CAPTURE AND GS CAPTURE AND WE WERE COMPLETING CONFIGURING WITH FLAPS AND GEAR AND PERFORMING BEFORE LNDG CHKLISTS, WHEN WE GOT EGPWS 'BELOW GS' ALERT DUE TO AUTOPLT EXCESSIVE FORWARD PITCH PRESSURE AND EXECUTED MISSED APCH. SIMULTANEOUSLY, I (CAPT) AM PRETTY SURE ATC, MEM TWR, ADVISED US THAT THEY HAD A 'TERRAIN ALERT' ON US AND I ACKNOWLEDGED SAME. THE TWR VOLUME ON THIS ADVISORY WAS WEAK, MAYBE 30% OR 40% OF NORMAL VOLUME, THUS THE SLIGHT DOUBT. FO DID NOT HEAR THIS ATC ALERT DUE TO LOW VOLUME AND BECAUSE OF THE GPWS 'BELOW GS' ALERT AND HIS FOCUSING ON THE MISSED APCH. SLIGHT PICTURE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE LOW. AFTER MISSED APCH EXECUTED, NORMAL APCH AND LNDG AGAIN TO RWY 36R AND FMS WIND READOUT AT 500 FT WAS ABOUT 145 DEGS AT 25 KTS (BUT THERE IS TYPICALLY A LAG IN THIS READOUT), AND TWR STILL RPTING WIND 130 DEGS AT 7 KTS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE-WISE, I THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE GS DEV EVEN SOONER IF WE HAD NOT HAD THE MINOR DISTR OF WHEN AT 'GS STAR,' GS INTERCEPT, I SET 5000 FT IN FCP FOR ILS MISSED APCH ALT PER SOP, AND FO QUERIED AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULDN'T INSERT 2000 FT FOR MISSED APCH SINCE WE WERE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. I STATED NO, THAT WE WERE 'CLRED FOR ILS' THUS THE ILS MISSED APCH ALT WAS REQUIRED. I THEN LEFT 5000 FT, SET FOR POSSIBLE MISSED APCH. THIS ABOVE INTERCHANGE TOOK A FEW, OR SEVERAL, SECONDS DURING AN ALREADY BUSY TIME OF CONFIGURING FLAPS AND GEAR AND BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, THUS DIMINISHING BOTH MYSELF AND FO'S INST MONITORING DUTIES.

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.