If there were no engine or flight control malfunctions plowing an airline short of the runway, that has a double displaced threshold, is inexcusable, especially on a CAFB day.
No ILS? Laughable, and sad, to think that professional pilots need one to land.
No VASI/PAPI? Makes it tougher but not impossible or unusable.
Many ways to use the FMC to figure out distance to the runway. That should be known before you are signed off by the TRI/TRE/CKA.
Blind adherence to SOP's can be a contributing factor. Watch JFK VOR 13L on a VFR day. It's amusing and disturbing watching guys make a simple approach a CF.
Worse even... the guys knew their beloved ILS GS would be INOP for both 28L/R from the very moment they received the dispatch brief/release to KSFO.
10+ hours to prep for a visual on a CAVOK day, and they manage to land hundreds of feet short
As usual.. INOP ILS = CFIT for the Korean