Firstly, I did feel pangs of guilt about my initial quip. I certainly would not have made light of anything resulting in the slightest of accidents. Also, I'm very aware of being a dinosaur, sitting in the comfort of my home. However....
While agreeing on a possible distorted time-line, I am still...let's say puzzled, by three obviously experienced guys not reacting positively to the situation sooner. It was seemingly a clear night, so perhaps they were quite sure of there being a safe margin from any obstacle. It would have been a logical reason to allow more time to sort things out. But things had gone wrong very quickly.
So much time was spent on ‘flight management': ‘Preoccupied' was the word used. That sounds familiar...NI and a wrong airfield I believe.
"Like a strong tail wind / heavy." Power reduction seemingly not controlling speed as expected, but I'm not too clear on the extent of course. But speed brakes as well? So it must have been a determined attempt to kill the speed.
At this stage I hope that I would have dredged up from my memory banks the training on false glide-slope. But that doesn't happen in the modern world does it? Perhaps the fact that the system was ‘Unmonitored', would be a clue that it was being serviced, so anything would be possible. But then, those old secondary lobes, when they did escape, were ridiculously steep. Couldn't be that...could it? ( I will read the report saspo.)
The DME factor I'll leave at the moment, I don't know if there were two separate units working to compare. But the unit speed of change is a very valid clue to their operation.
Then there was a ‘miss-mash' of lights, or words similar. Then island lights too close. Then ‘Where is the airport?' That belies the argument for good visual reference.
I do agree on the psychology issue. I recall going into AMS one hazy day, and both localizers were full scale...in opposite directions. The first sensation was of disbelief.
I don't know why I have taken a particular interest in this incident. It makes a good CRM discussion topic perhaps, but I think it's a bit more important than that. I just have a gut feeling that this had the makings of a much more serious incident, several things all coming together, and rather too long for positive recognition of the seriousness of the situation.