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Old 22nd Jun 2013, 08:00
  #107 (permalink)  
737Jock
 
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At FL207, 33nm to touch down, 276 KIAS the captain selected the autopilot into open descent, reduced the thrust to idle, deployed the speed brakes and selected a speed of 300 knots. The aircraft reached a rate of descent of about 5000 feet per minute and descended through FL120 about 20nm before touch down, the captain selected 240 KIAS which also reduced the rate of descent. The aircraft descended through FL100 13.5nm before touchdown, the autopilot was disconnected, the landing gear was selected down, the crew reported runway in sight. Doing 250 KIAS the aircraft intercepted the localizer 8nm before touchdown at 6000 feet, 3400 feet above 3 degrees glideslope, the captain selected the go-around altitude into the flight control panel which caused the flight director to revert to vertical speed (4400 fpm rate of descent). Descending through 3550 feet, 1700 feet above glide, about 5nm from touchdown, flaps still at position 0, vertical speed -4400 fpm, speed brakes and landing gear extended, the first officer (ATPL, 1,700 hours on type) transmitted they were established on the ILS 19. The autothrust was disconnected, the engines were reduced to idle thrust. The aircraft received landing clearance. 8 seconds after the landing clearance the first officer advised they were "a little high" and requested a 360 (full circle) to the right. During these communications the captain re-engaged autothrust and autopilot, the glideslope capture activates, a GPWS warning "Sink Rate!" sounds at 836 feet AGL, 220 KIAS, 2500 fpm rate of descent 2.5nm before the runway threshold. The GPWS calls "Pull Up! Pull Up!" and "Too low! Terrain!"
This is more than a screwup, this captain clearly doesn't know his aircraft nor what it is capable of.
To start of by accelerating to 300kts and then slow down to 240 kts at a point where you haven't even captured the profile is an enormous beginners mistake. You either speed up and stick with it until your below the profile, loosing the speed at lower altitude in denser air with every bit of drag there is, or you slow down straight away and put the drag out.
When you are this close and this high the only option that could lead to possible success is to slow down and get the drag out. With FULL and gear at 160-170 kts the airbus can give quite an impressive rate of descent at lower speed which buys time and thus improves the angle of descent. And at least it's fully configured. Still don't think it would work but in my opinion it's the only strategy that could have been attempted.

He then seems to manage to get the engines running above idle in v/s with speed brakes and gear out, at every step he is adding to his problems.

Anybody can make a mistake and get high, this guy doesn't know how to operate his aircraft though and is too arrogant to ask for some 360's or extra vectors.
The weather being good has little to do with it, weather doesn't change the laws of physic nor distance to the threshold. In fact when I can see the runway rushing towards me while I look way to high it's extra confirmation that something is going wrong! It's not a motivator to push on.

Last edited by 737Jock; 22nd Jun 2013 at 08:05.
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