Narrative:

On the last leg of the day while on about a 3 mile final at about 1500 ft to runway xxr (gear down and flaps 15 with about a 32 KT headwind) tower said he could give us runway xxl if we wanted it. In an effort to save time and gas; and given good WX conditions; we felt good with the decision to land on xxl so we were cleared for the visual; and landing on xxl. I went 'heads down' to find the appropriate localizer frequency to back up the visual to the new runway. I did not see the frequency and looked at my quick reference sheet to see if it was any help. I thought it said AAA.B. However; that frequency just brought up warning flags. So I looked through my commercial chart. I saw there was no localizer frequency to that runway. The captain then said it was ok that he could see the glide path and stuff in the HUD. So I tuned the radios to ZZZ VOR for DME information. Everything felt mostly normal except we had about a 32 KT headwind and so our groundspeed seemed pretty slow. I was just getting ready to make my standard 500 ft and so on calls when the GPWS said; 'too low flaps.' the captain immediately called for flaps 30 and I gave them to him and a 'before landing check.' the rest of the approach and landing were uneventful. Both of us were pretty shaken/upset. We realized we had allowed ourselves to get distracted at a very critical time in flight. We reviewed what had happened and how it came to this conclusion. This was an embarrassing and disappointing mistake allowing the distraction and in turn the check that would have assured the configuration. But we agreed that we made a second mistake (bad decision) in that we did not execute a go-around! I suppose it was a natural reaction to try to fix the incorrect configuration; however; it was the wrong action. We discussed what the right thing to do in terms of reporting this event. There were no violation issues in this event per what a report might normally be used. However; we agreed this was a safety issue and therefore proper for a report in hopes that the information can be used in a positive way. I know both of us are very upset over this event and our performance. On a good note; neither of us will soon forget the lessons learned from it either!!!! Don't let anything get in the way of accomplishing a good 'before landing check' and if something/anything is not right below 1000 ft -- go around!!!!!!! I know that we as a pilot group have a can-do/get-right-done attitude that perhaps puts a 'go-around' in a 'least desirable action' category. But I know I will openly promote/brief a go-around and the things that might drive one so that should such a mistake/event happen; we are already geared and primed to execute one rather than try to fix the problem. I truly wished that I had just said go-around and pushed the thrust levers up!!!! Then; at least I would only beat myself up for the flap configuration.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PILOT REPORTS AN UNSTABILIZED APCH FOLLOWING A LATE RWY CHANGE WHEN THE CREW FAILED TO EXTEND LNDG FLAPS AT 1000 FT AND DID NOT GO AROUND.

Narrative: ON THE LAST LEG OF THE DAY WHILE ON ABOUT A 3 MILE FINAL AT ABOUT 1500 FT TO RWY XXR (GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 15 WITH ABOUT A 32 KT HEADWIND) TOWER SAID HE COULD GIVE US RWY XXL IF WE WANTED IT. IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE TIME AND GAS; AND GIVEN GOOD WX CONDITIONS; WE FELT GOOD WITH THE DECISION TO LAND ON XXL SO WE WERE CLEARED FOR THE VISUAL; AND LANDING ON XXL. I WENT 'HEADS DOWN' TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE LOCALIZER FREQUENCY TO BACK UP THE VISUAL TO THE NEW RUNWAY. I DID NOT SEE THE FREQUENCY AND LOOKED AT MY QUICK REFERENCE SHEET TO SEE IF IT WAS ANY HELP. I THOUGHT IT SAID AAA.B. HOWEVER; THAT FREQ JUST BROUGHT UP WARNING FLAGS. SO I LOOKED THROUGH MY COMMERCIAL CHART. I SAW THERE WAS NO LOCALIZER FREQ TO THAT RUNWAY. THE CAPTAIN THEN SAID IT WAS OK THAT HE COULD SEE THE GLIDE PATH AND STUFF IN THE HUD. SO I TUNED THE RADIOS TO ZZZ VOR FOR DME INFO. EVERYTHING FELT MOSTLY NORMAL EXCEPT WE HAD ABOUT A 32 KT HEADWIND AND SO OUR GROUNDSPEED SEEMED PRETTY SLOW. I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO MAKE MY STANDARD 500 FT AND SO ON CALLS WHEN THE GPWS SAID; 'TOO LOW FLAPS.' THE CAPTAIN IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR FLAPS 30 AND I GAVE THEM TO HIM AND A 'BEFORE LANDING CHECK.' THE REST OF THE APPROACH AND LANDING WERE UNEVENTFUL. BOTH OF US WERE PRETTY SHAKEN/UPSET. WE REALIZED WE HAD ALLOWED OURSELVES TO GET DISTRACTED AT A VERY CRITICAL TIME IN FLIGHT. WE REVIEWED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HOW IT CAME TO THIS CONCLUSION. THIS WAS AN EMBARRASSING AND DISAPPOINTING MISTAKE ALLOWING THE DISTRACTION AND IN TURN THE CHECK THAT WOULD HAVE ASSURED THE CONFIGURATION. BUT WE AGREED THAT WE MADE A SECOND MISTAKE (BAD DECISION) IN THAT WE DID NOT EXECUTE A GO-AROUND! I SUPPOSE IT WAS A NATURAL REACTION TO TRY TO FIX THE INCORRECT CONFIGURATION; HOWEVER; IT WAS THE WRONG ACTION. WE DISCUSSED WHAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN TERMS OF REPORTING THIS EVENT. THERE WERE NO VIOLATION ISSUES IN THIS EVENT PER WHAT A REPORT MIGHT NORMALLY BE USED. HOWEVER; WE AGREED THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEREFORE PROPER FOR A REPORT IN HOPES THAT THE INFO CAN BE USED IN A POSITIVE WAY. I KNOW BOTH OF US ARE VERY UPSET OVER THIS EVENT AND OUR PERFORMANCE. ON A GOOD NOTE; NEITHER OF US WILL SOON FORGET THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM IT EITHER!!!! DON'T LET ANYTHING GET IN THE WAY OF ACCOMPLISHING A GOOD 'BEFORE LANDING CHECK' AND IF SOMETHING/ANYTHING IS NOT RIGHT BELOW 1000 FT -- GO AROUND!!!!!!! I KNOW THAT WE AS A PILOT GROUP HAVE A CAN-DO/GET-R-DONE ATTITUDE THAT PERHAPS PUTS A 'GO-AROUND' IN A 'LEAST DESIRABLE ACTION' CATEGORY. BUT I KNOW I WILL OPENLY PROMOTE/BRIEF A GO-AROUND AND THE THINGS THAT MIGHT DRIVE ONE SO THAT SHOULD SUCH A MISTAKE/EVENT HAPPEN; WE ARE ALREADY GEARED AND PRIMED TO EXECUTE ONE RATHER THAN TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I TRULY WISHED THAT I HAD JUST SAID GO-AROUND AND PUSHED THE THRUST LEVERS UP!!!! THEN; AT LEAST I WOULD ONLY BEAT MYSELF UP FOR THE FLAP CONFIGURATION.

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.