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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A B737 captain reports continuing an unstable VFR approach below 500 ft after intuition told him to go around.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 740385 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cyul.airport |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : gfk.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 740385 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
This event is reported as I have been thinking what a stupid thing I did and could have been so easily solved with a simple go around. We were visual on a downwind landing to the west at cyul and I told the first officer to tell approach we were visual. Approach gave us a turn to crosswind and told us to stay at 3000 ft until intercepting final. We complied; but as I turned to final; I realized the approach would be steep as we approached the field; so I clicked off the autoplt and we lowered the flaps to final on speed as we descended; but we were still steep. Got permission for an s-turn and executed it. My first officer said 'I don't know about this' but I continued when a go around should have been executed. I was confident that I would get the plane on the ground safely; but the 'stable' at the 1000 ft mark was ignored feeling I would be stable at 500 ft for a visual. The 'stable part' was more like 300 ft. I feel like an ass and don't think I'll get much sleep tonight thinking about what I 'did' versus 'what I should have done.' the landing was uneventful and safe; but I'll never try to cut short an approach to save time and fuel. My first officer did a fine job in helping and he advised me as to his opinion.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 CAPT REPORTS CONTINUING AN UNSTABLE VFR APCH BELOW 500 FT AFTER INTUITION TOLD HIM TO GO AROUND.
Narrative: THIS EVENT IS RPTED AS I HAVE BEEN THINKING WHAT A STUPID THING I DID AND COULD HAVE BEEN SO EASILY SOLVED WITH A SIMPLE GAR. WE WERE VISUAL ON A DOWNWIND LNDG TO THE W AT CYUL AND I TOLD THE FO TO TELL APCH WE WERE VISUAL. APCH GAVE US A TURN TO XWIND AND TOLD US TO STAY AT 3000 FT UNTIL INTERCEPTING FINAL. WE COMPLIED; BUT AS I TURNED TO FINAL; I REALIZED THE APCH WOULD BE STEEP AS WE APCHED THE FIELD; SO I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND WE LOWERED THE FLAPS TO FINAL ON SPD AS WE DSNDED; BUT WE WERE STILL STEEP. GOT PERMISSION FOR AN S-TURN AND EXECUTED IT. MY FO SAID 'I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS' BUT I CONTINUED WHEN A GAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED. I WAS CONFIDENT THAT I WOULD GET THE PLANE ON THE GND SAFELY; BUT THE 'STABLE' AT THE 1000 FT MARK WAS IGNORED FEELING I WOULD BE STABLE AT 500 FT FOR A VISUAL. THE 'STABLE PART' WAS MORE LIKE 300 FT. I FEEL LIKE AN ASS AND DON'T THINK I'LL GET MUCH SLEEP TONIGHT THINKING ABOUT WHAT I 'DID' VERSUS 'WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE.' THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND SAFE; BUT I'LL NEVER TRY TO CUT SHORT AN APCH TO SAVE TIME AND FUEL. MY FO DID A FINE JOB IN HELPING AND HE ADVISED ME AS TO HIS OPINION.
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.