Narrative:

After crossing the decee intersection; ind approach control changed runway for landing; cleared us to intercept the localizer for runway 32; which is 317 degrees. At the time; we were VMC; ATIS reporting ceilings at 4800 ft; tops at 6000 ft. The captain had changed the FMC for me. I was flying with autoplt off. After intercepting the localizer tracking inbound; cleared down to 3000 ft; cleared the approach; the controller wanted us to keep our speed up to the marker; 180 KTS. During the approach; I was bracketing to maintain approximately 1/2 DOT on the localizer. In doing so; I got a little low causing the tower controller to warn us that the 'low altitude warning' went off. He informed us of a new altimeter setting and I leveled off. We were outside the marker; at 2800 ft; and low inside the marker at 1 1/2 dots right of course. I wanted to execute a missed approach; but the captain took over the controls; wanting to salvage the approach. As we descended through 1000 ft; landing flaps were not set and about 1/3 - 1/2 DOT right of course. We broke out at about 600 ft above; VMC again. ATIS was not even close. The captain said to me 'your aircraft.' I said 'you land -- you have it.' he repeated his instruction. I took the controls and landed uneventfully. Several factors affecting this approach; mostly human; but WX played a part. In an electric aircraft like the B737-800; pilots let all of the avionics do 'all' of the work. In doing so; pilot skills get rusty; as mine had; causing a sloppy approach and not correcting for strong xwinds aggressively enough. A sloppy approach caused the tower 'low altitude' warning to go off. Believing the ceilings were at 4000 ft led me to want to fly a manual approach. Practicing manual approachs are best performed in VMC; so if we ever have to perform a real manual approach to minimums; it can be accomplished uneventfully. Due to our arrival time; we had not picked up the most current ATIS information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNSTABILIZED MANUALLY FLOWN APCH TO IND RWY 32 IS CONTINUED TO LNDG DESPITE PF REQUEST FOR GAR.

Narrative: AFTER XING THE DECEE INTXN; IND APCH CTL CHANGED RWY FOR LNDG; CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 32; WHICH IS 317 DEGS. AT THE TIME; WE WERE VMC; ATIS RPTING CEILINGS AT 4800 FT; TOPS AT 6000 FT. THE CAPT HAD CHANGED THE FMC FOR ME. I WAS FLYING WITH AUTOPLT OFF. AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOC TRACKING INBOUND; CLRED DOWN TO 3000 FT; CLRED THE APCH; THE CTLR WANTED US TO KEEP OUR SPD UP TO THE MARKER; 180 KTS. DURING THE APCH; I WAS BRACKETING TO MAINTAIN APPROX 1/2 DOT ON THE LOC. IN DOING SO; I GOT A LITTLE LOW CAUSING THE TWR CTLR TO WARN US THAT THE 'LOW ALT WARNING' WENT OFF. HE INFORMED US OF A NEW ALTIMETER SETTING AND I LEVELED OFF. WE WERE OUTSIDE THE MARKER; AT 2800 FT; AND LOW INSIDE THE MARKER AT 1 1/2 DOTS R OF COURSE. I WANTED TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH; BUT THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE CTLS; WANTING TO SALVAGE THE APCH. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 1000 FT; LNDG FLAPS WERE NOT SET AND ABOUT 1/3 - 1/2 DOT R OF COURSE. WE BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 600 FT ABOVE; VMC AGAIN. ATIS WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE. THE CAPT SAID TO ME 'YOUR ACFT.' I SAID 'YOU LAND -- YOU HAVE IT.' HE REPEATED HIS INSTRUCTION. I TOOK THE CTLS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. SEVERAL FACTORS AFFECTING THIS APCH; MOSTLY HUMAN; BUT WX PLAYED A PART. IN AN ELECTRIC ACFT LIKE THE B737-800; PLTS LET ALL OF THE AVIONICS DO 'ALL' OF THE WORK. IN DOING SO; PLT SKILLS GET RUSTY; AS MINE HAD; CAUSING A SLOPPY APCH AND NOT CORRECTING FOR STRONG XWINDS AGGRESSIVELY ENOUGH. A SLOPPY APCH CAUSED THE TWR 'LOW ALT' WARNING TO GO OFF. BELIEVING THE CEILINGS WERE AT 4000 FT LED ME TO WANT TO FLY A MANUAL APCH. PRACTICING MANUAL APCHS ARE BEST PERFORMED IN VMC; SO IF WE EVER HAVE TO PERFORM A REAL MANUAL APCH TO MINIMUMS; IT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY. DUE TO OUR ARR TIME; WE HAD NOT PICKED UP THE MOST CURRENT ATIS INFO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.