Narrative:

My day started with an early morning wake-up (XA15) in ZZZ. I got about 4 hours of sleep due to the noise level in the hotel. I flew the leg back to ZZZ1 and after deplaning passenger (XG50) the gate agent handed me her phone. It was scheduling and I had to hurry to gate for an XH25 departure to ZZZ2. I stopped in the crew room to get my paperwork and didn't have time to stop for food; or even take a bathroom break. I introduced myself to the crew; briefed them; and began my preflight duties. I had never flown with the first officer before; and she told me she was pretty new. She had already preflted the airplane; programmed the mcdu; pulled up the clearance and ATIS; and looked at the logbook/security check/daily maintenance entries and familiarized herself with the MEL's. I was impressed. In my brief; I emphasized open communications between us and to speak up any time. I asked her if she wanted to fly the leg to ZZZ2 and she agreed. I was a little tired from getting up so early and thought it prudent to have her fly. I thought she (and the rest of the crew) were just starting out; but later found out they had flown in from ZZZ3 and also had a very early wake-up/show time. She did a nice job and hand flew the airplane until 10000 ft MSL; when she turned the autoplt on. Her callouts; flying ability and procedures were excellent; so I think I may have dropped my guard a little; even though she was new. The flight was normal/uneventful until we arrived in ZZZ2. We flew the arrival and approach assigned us runway xxr. She briefed a visual approach; backed up with the ILS; and we had runway xxl in the secondary flight plan (mcdu). After abc; we were assigned a heading of 120 degrees and 6000 ft MSL altitude and 210 KTS airspeed. ATC then switched our runway to xxl and gave us a vector to a base leg. I activated the secondary flight plan for runway xxl; and verified the frequency/inbound course on the pfd (there was no time for a full brief). ATC called out traffic for runway xxr. I was concerned about her overshooting the final for runway xxl; because of the wind direction and wanted to get a visual on the traffic. Then they told us to intercept runway xxl lda; which we did not have set up; so I quickly entered the lda runway xxl into the mcdu and got out the approach plate (the first officer did not have her lda approach plate handy; I later found out). Again I verified the frequency and inbound course on the pfd (no time for a full brief). The ATIS didn't indicate runway xxl ILS OTS; so I'm not sure why they were using the lda runway xxl instead. At this point; we are slightly high/fast (due to ATC assigned altitude/speed); so I'm trying to get a word in edgewise to call the airport in sight and get clearance for a visual approach. Before I can transmit; ATC calls us and clears us down to 2100 ft and asks us if we have the runway in sight. Before I can answer; another aircraft interjects and ATC has to repeat our clearance to us. I finally get a chance to respond. During this time; the first officer did not enter the new altitude (2100 ft); nor did she start her descent. I tell her to pull for 'open descent' down to 2100 ft and we're cleared for the visual. She starts to slow the speed down first and asks for flaps; and the aircraft is hardly descending at all. So I tell her to put the gear down and use speed brakes; which she does. She then manages the speed; which slows the aircraft down further; but now the descent rate shallows out even more. I suggest more flaps. Finally; I tell her to click off the autoplt and hand fly; in order to pick up a better rate of descent (we are high). She asks if we are landing on the runway straight ahead (runway xy) and I say no; runway xxl. The lda for runway xxl is not aligned with the runway and she mistook runway xy for runway xxl. She was unfamiliar with the airport and had never been there before. I sense she is getting very uncomfortable with the approach and we are still high; so I ask her if she wants me to take control and she says yes. I increased the descent rate and felt confident that I would land in the touchdown zone; and have the aircraft stabilized by 500 ft. I was so focused and intent on flying the airplane; that I didn't notice 500 ft to xchk myspd/descent rate/thrust setting (for air carrier's stabilized approach policy). The first officer didn't speak up after I took the controls and I think was just along for the ride; at that point. At a couple hundred ft from landing; we got the GPWS 'sink rate' callout; and I decreased the rate of descent. We were at about vapp +15 KTS; fully configured; and thrust was just starting to increase above idle when we touched down. I landed at the far end of the touchdown zone (but within the touchdown zone) and braked normally for the rollout. After parking the airplane; the first officer and I discussed what had occurred. She felt badly about her flying performance; and I told her it was a combination of fatigue; being new to the airplane; unfamiliar with the airport and ATC keeping us high; switching runways; etc. I also told her that I should have asked for runway xy for landing; or gone around. The approach (though not unsafe) was not stabilized due to the excessive rate of descent on final and the GPWS 'sink rate' caution on short final. This event was precipitated by: crew fatigue; new first officer not familiar with operations or skilled enough to handle a 'slam dunk' approach; ATC handling (keeping us high and fast; switching runways); pilot monitoring (me) being heads down switching runways/approachs in the mcdu; and distraction by looking for traffic/radio calls. My guard was down because up until that point; she had done a fine job so I thought I could talk her through the 'slam dunk.' bad judgement on my part to try to salvage an approach that was too high. Although I am a new captain; I have flown the airbus for 8 yrs and there was an 'overconfidence' in my own ability to get the airplane down; instead of doing the right thing and going around. This was an eye-opening lesson for me; as I have always been a conservative pilot; who abides by all FARS; air carrier policies; procedures; and SOP's. I was confident that my flying skills could salvage this high approach; that I unconsciously and inadvertently continued the approach; instead of making the prudent decision to go around at 500 ft or sooner. I should have recognized that I was pushing the limits of air carrier's stabilized approach policy; and gone around. I don't know why I didn't think to ask for runway xy. I know fatigue/not eating food may have contributed to weak performance; but there is no excuse for bad judgement. I will take this event as an example of what not to do. In the future; if there is a question of going around versus pushing a bad approach; I will always choose to go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEW A320 CAPT AND FO LAND FROM AN UNSTABILIZED APCH WHEN THE PF FO BECOMES UNCOMFORTABLE AFTER AN APCH CHANGE AND THE CAPT TAKES THE ACFT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: MY DAY STARTED WITH AN EARLY MORNING WAKE-UP (XA15) IN ZZZ. I GOT ABOUT 4 HRS OF SLEEP DUE TO THE NOISE LEVEL IN THE HOTEL. I FLEW THE LEG BACK TO ZZZ1 AND AFTER DEPLANING PAX (XG50) THE GATE AGENT HANDED ME HER PHONE. IT WAS SCHEDULING AND I HAD TO HURRY TO GATE FOR AN XH25 DEP TO ZZZ2. I STOPPED IN THE CREW ROOM TO GET MY PAPERWORK AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO STOP FOR FOOD; OR EVEN TAKE A BATHROOM BREAK. I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE CREW; BRIEFED THEM; AND BEGAN MY PREFLT DUTIES. I HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH THE FO BEFORE; AND SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS PRETTY NEW. SHE HAD ALREADY PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE; PROGRAMMED THE MCDU; PULLED UP THE CLRNC AND ATIS; AND LOOKED AT THE LOGBOOK/SECURITY CHK/DAILY MAINT ENTRIES AND FAMILIARIZED HERSELF WITH THE MEL'S. I WAS IMPRESSED. IN MY BRIEF; I EMPHASIZED OPEN COMS BTWN US AND TO SPEAK UP ANY TIME. I ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED TO FLY THE LEG TO ZZZ2 AND SHE AGREED. I WAS A LITTLE TIRED FROM GETTING UP SO EARLY AND THOUGHT IT PRUDENT TO HAVE HER FLY. I THOUGHT SHE (AND THE REST OF THE CREW) WERE JUST STARTING OUT; BUT LATER FOUND OUT THEY HAD FLOWN IN FROM ZZZ3 AND ALSO HAD A VERY EARLY WAKE-UP/SHOW TIME. SHE DID A NICE JOB AND HAND FLEW THE AIRPLANE UNTIL 10000 FT MSL; WHEN SHE TURNED THE AUTOPLT ON. HER CALLOUTS; FLYING ABILITY AND PROCS WERE EXCELLENT; SO I THINK I MAY HAVE DROPPED MY GUARD A LITTLE; EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS NEW. THE FLT WAS NORMAL/UNEVENTFUL UNTIL WE ARRIVED IN ZZZ2. WE FLEW THE ARR AND APCH ASSIGNED US RWY XXR. SHE BRIEFED A VISUAL APCH; BACKED UP WITH THE ILS; AND WE HAD RWY XXL IN THE SECONDARY FLT PLAN (MCDU). AFTER ABC; WE WERE ASSIGNED A HDG OF 120 DEGS AND 6000 FT MSL ALT AND 210 KTS AIRSPD. ATC THEN SWITCHED OUR RWY TO XXL AND GAVE US A VECTOR TO A BASE LEG. I ACTIVATED THE SECONDARY FLT PLAN FOR RWY XXL; AND VERIFIED THE FREQ/INBOUND COURSE ON THE PFD (THERE WAS NO TIME FOR A FULL BRIEF). ATC CALLED OUT TFC FOR RWY XXR. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HER OVERSHOOTING THE FINAL FOR RWY XXL; BECAUSE OF THE WIND DIRECTION AND WANTED TO GET A VISUAL ON THE TFC. THEN THEY TOLD US TO INTERCEPT RWY XXL LDA; WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE SET UP; SO I QUICKLY ENTERED THE LDA RWY XXL INTO THE MCDU AND GOT OUT THE APCH PLATE (THE FO DID NOT HAVE HER LDA APCH PLATE HANDY; I LATER FOUND OUT). AGAIN I VERIFIED THE FREQ AND INBOUND COURSE ON THE PFD (NO TIME FOR A FULL BRIEF). THE ATIS DIDN'T INDICATE RWY XXL ILS OTS; SO I'M NOT SURE WHY THEY WERE USING THE LDA RWY XXL INSTEAD. AT THIS POINT; WE ARE SLIGHTLY HIGH/FAST (DUE TO ATC ASSIGNED ALT/SPD); SO I'M TRYING TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND GET CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH. BEFORE I CAN XMIT; ATC CALLS US AND CLRS US DOWN TO 2100 FT AND ASKS US IF WE HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. BEFORE I CAN ANSWER; ANOTHER ACFT INTERJECTS AND ATC HAS TO REPEAT OUR CLRNC TO US. I FINALLY GET A CHANCE TO RESPOND. DURING THIS TIME; THE FO DID NOT ENTER THE NEW ALT (2100 FT); NOR DID SHE START HER DSCNT. I TELL HER TO PULL FOR 'OPEN DSCNT' DOWN TO 2100 FT AND WE'RE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. SHE STARTS TO SLOW THE SPD DOWN FIRST AND ASKS FOR FLAPS; AND THE ACFT IS HARDLY DSNDING AT ALL. SO I TELL HER TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND USE SPD BRAKES; WHICH SHE DOES. SHE THEN MANAGES THE SPD; WHICH SLOWS THE ACFT DOWN FURTHER; BUT NOW THE DSCNT RATE SHALLOWS OUT EVEN MORE. I SUGGEST MORE FLAPS. FINALLY; I TELL HER TO CLICK OFF THE AUTOPLT AND HAND FLY; IN ORDER TO PICK UP A BETTER RATE OF DSCNT (WE ARE HIGH). SHE ASKS IF WE ARE LNDG ON THE RWY STRAIGHT AHEAD (RWY XY) AND I SAY NO; RWY XXL. THE LDA FOR RWY XXL IS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE RWY AND SHE MISTOOK RWY XY FOR RWY XXL. SHE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. I SENSE SHE IS GETTING VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE APCH AND WE ARE STILL HIGH; SO I ASK HER IF SHE WANTS ME TO TAKE CTL AND SHE SAYS YES. I INCREASED THE DSCNT RATE AND FELT CONFIDENT THAT I WOULD LAND IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE; AND HAVE THE ACFT STABILIZED BY 500 FT. I WAS SO FOCUSED AND INTENT ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE; THAT I DIDN'T NOTICE 500 FT TO XCHK MYSPD/DSCNT RATE/THRUST SETTING (FOR ACR'S STABILIZED APCH POLICY). THE FO DIDN'T SPEAK UP AFTER I TOOK THE CTLS AND I THINK WAS JUST ALONG FOR THE RIDE; AT THAT POINT. AT A COUPLE HUNDRED FT FROM LNDG; WE GOT THE GPWS 'SINK RATE' CALLOUT; AND I DECREASED THE RATE OF DSCNT. WE WERE AT ABOUT VAPP +15 KTS; FULLY CONFIGURED; AND THRUST WAS JUST STARTING TO INCREASE ABOVE IDLE WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN. I LANDED AT THE FAR END OF THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE (BUT WITHIN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE) AND BRAKED NORMALLY FOR THE ROLLOUT. AFTER PARKING THE AIRPLANE; THE FO AND I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD OCCURRED. SHE FELT BADLY ABOUT HER FLYING PERFORMANCE; AND I TOLD HER IT WAS A COMBINATION OF FATIGUE; BEING NEW TO THE AIRPLANE; UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND ATC KEEPING US HIGH; SWITCHING RWYS; ETC. I ALSO TOLD HER THAT I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR RWY XY FOR LNDG; OR GONE AROUND. THE APCH (THOUGH NOT UNSAFE) WAS NOT STABILIZED DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RATE OF DSCNT ON FINAL AND THE GPWS 'SINK RATE' CAUTION ON SHORT FINAL. THIS EVENT WAS PRECIPITATED BY: CREW FATIGUE; NEW FO NOT FAMILIAR WITH OPS OR SKILLED ENOUGH TO HANDLE A 'SLAM DUNK' APCH; ATC HANDLING (KEEPING US HIGH AND FAST; SWITCHING RWYS); PLT MONITORING (ME) BEING HEADS DOWN SWITCHING RWYS/APCHS IN THE MCDU; AND DISTR BY LOOKING FOR TFC/RADIO CALLS. MY GUARD WAS DOWN BECAUSE UP UNTIL THAT POINT; SHE HAD DONE A FINE JOB SO I THOUGHT I COULD TALK HER THROUGH THE 'SLAM DUNK.' BAD JUDGEMENT ON MY PART TO TRY TO SALVAGE AN APCH THAT WAS TOO HIGH. ALTHOUGH I AM A NEW CAPT; I HAVE FLOWN THE AIRBUS FOR 8 YRS AND THERE WAS AN 'OVERCONFIDENCE' IN MY OWN ABILITY TO GET THE AIRPLANE DOWN; INSTEAD OF DOING THE RIGHT THING AND GOING AROUND. THIS WAS AN EYE-OPENING LESSON FOR ME; AS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CONSERVATIVE PLT; WHO ABIDES BY ALL FARS; ACR POLICIES; PROCS; AND SOP'S. I WAS CONFIDENT THAT MY FLYING SKILLS COULD SALVAGE THIS HIGH APCH; THAT I UNCONSCIOUSLY AND INADVERTENTLY CONTINUED THE APCH; INSTEAD OF MAKING THE PRUDENT DECISION TO GO AROUND AT 500 FT OR SOONER. I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS PUSHING THE LIMITS OF ACR'S STABILIZED APCH POLICY; AND GONE AROUND. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T THINK TO ASK FOR RWY XY. I KNOW FATIGUE/NOT EATING FOOD MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WEAK PERFORMANCE; BUT THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BAD JUDGEMENT. I WILL TAKE THIS EVENT AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO. IN THE FUTURE; IF THERE IS A QUESTION OF GOING AROUND VERSUS PUSHING A BAD APCH; I WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE TO GO AROUND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.