Visual ccts. Despite over 10 years of flying commercially (8 years Airbus), I still approach visuals with great caution. A visual is great to save a couple of minutes, do a little hands on flying but it also offers you the opportunity make a complete 8alls up of the whole thing. A visual approach at night also throws up additional factors - particularly over water with no defined horizon (R/W 03 ACE for example.)
This incident (near accident) demonstrates how quickly things can change and how easily items get missed due to concentrating on trying to correct the approach - in this case critical RT calls.
Why didn't they go-around? I don't know. Loss of face? Get-in-itis? Tunnel vision? We've all been there - that slightly uncomfortable feeling as you're watching the other guy start to get a little hot'n'high.
When training, I stress to new FO's that if ever they find themselves in this situation and stability looks highly unlikely - GO AROUND or TELL the Captain to GO AROUND. At the best it's probably tea, no biscuits and trying to think of some good answers as to what on earth you thought you were both doing - at worst ......
To be unstable, BE AWARE OF ANOTHER A/C on or entering the R/W and continue to land over the other aircraft is very worrying.
Point of this post? Don't know really - it seems I'm stating the obvious - but if it gets a message across to some of the newer guys - great.
Fly safe,
A4
PS I recently witnessed a A320 of a large Spanish carrier fly a visual approach to IBZ 24. He was UNBELIEVEABLY high on the approach - TCAS indicated 2,300 at 3 miles. Now I know TCAS is not particularly accurate in azimuth but in this case it wasn't too far wrong. To our astonisment, the aircraft landed approximately half way down the runway........... Question. How do you get to the position of Captain, responsible for many lives etc and (a) Allow an approach to be flown like that in the first place? (b) Actually LAND off of it?
Be careful with visuals!
A4