As to the hard landing debate if you are not stabilised by 1000ft...rubbish
No, it's 500ft and I'm afraid it's called
facts. Lots of good reading for all of us in the files linked to below.
Aircraft Energy Management during Approach
Statistical Data
"Approximately 70 % of rushed and unstable approaches involve an incorrect management of the aircraft energy level, resulting in an excess or deficit of energy, as follows:
Being slow and/or low on approach : 40 % of events; Being fast and/or high on approach: 30 % of events."
"The maximum deceleration achievable between the OM (typically 6.0 nm from the runway threshold) and the stabilization point (1000 ft above airfield elevation / 3.0 nm) is:10kt-per-nm x(6.0–3.0)nm=30kt.
In order to be stabilized at 130 kt at 1000 above airfield elevation, the maximum speed that can be accepted and maintained down to the OM is: 130 kt + 30 kt = 160 kt."
Stabilized Approach And Flare Are Keys to Avoiding Hard Landings
Safety specialists agree that conducting a stabi- lized approach significantly reduces the risk of a hard landing.
“Hard landings usually result from nonstabilized approaches conducted in difficult situations,” Carbaugh said. “Crews need to know that just prior to touchdown, the go-around option is there for them. If things are not going well, and you’re not stabilized, going around is the right thing to do.”
"Table 2 (page 8) shows elements of a stabilized approach that were recommended by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) approach-and-landing accident Reduction (alaR) task Force.28 The task force said that the flight crew should conduct a go-around if an approach becomes unstabilized below 1,000 feet above airport elevation in instrument meteorological conditions or below 500 feet above airport elevation in visual meteorological conditions (VMC)."
Flying Stabilized Approaches
Continuing an unstabilized approach is a causal factor in 40 % of all approach-and- landing accidents.
In 75% of the off-runway touchdown, tail strike or runway excursion/overrun accidents, the major cause was an unstable approach.