Narrative:

We were cleared for intercept localizer 25L lax. After approximately 3-4 mi given heading change to intercept localizer for 24R and maintain 8000. After crossing denay at 8000 ft we were cleared for ILS 24R. Which put us in a position above the GS. Captain was hand flying aircraft and nosed it over to intercept GS. Airspeed 270 KTS. Captain asked for gear, then flaps 5. What captain did next I was unaware of due to smooth characteristics of aircraft. Captain deployed fully the spoilers in order to catch GS. Just outside of romen (OM) we went through GS at high rate of descent. I called out in order 1) GS. 2) below GS. 3) way below captain! At this time lax tower wanted to know our altitude. To compound problem captain went to hard 30 degree bank right chasing localizer. Then left again. Captain finally leveled off at 1100 ft. (Far below crossing altitude at romen). Captain forgot about spoilers out. I reached over and quickly retracted them. Aircraft was stable. We reintercepted GS for remainder of approach and had a normal landing. When we were at 1100 (400 ft low) apparently the warning bells were set off in the tower. At this point the lax tower demanded at altitude report. I have made thousands of approachs into lax and every one is hectic. Lax approach keeps arrs up between 8000 and 12000 much too long. So when we are cleared for the approach it is a catch up game! And the aircraft is a very clean wing difficult to get down and easy to get behind. There is no warning device when the spoilers are deployed. This was a night approach. Cockpit is dark and handle on capts is difficult to notice when it is being used. The captain seemed confused about localizer. Was not paying attention to high rate of sink and wanted the flight director reset (which takes 2 hands) numerous times in the middle of all this confusion. The spoilers out definitely contributed to our high sink rate through GS but being kept up high on approach causes crews to take action in order to get aircraft down. Our flight director gives no information when we're above GS and trying to reintercept and the captain just seemed to be very confused. I didn't notice spoilers out until we had already gone far below our altitude. I am new on this aircraft and am still learning very much about flying it. A normal approach to lax would have helped us out a lot but looking at lax volume this is highly unlikely. My personal opinion about using spoilers to get down maybe PF should keep hand on spoilers while they are being used so he won't forget when workload increases. As far as captain confusion you will have to read his report.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH TO LAX. LATE CHANGE OF RWY. LATE CLRNC TO DSND. ATTEMPTING TO CATCH GS CAPT OVER-CTLED AND DSNDED THROUGH GS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR INTERCEPT LOC 25L LAX. AFTER APPROX 3-4 MI GIVEN HDG CHANGE TO INTERCEPT LOC FOR 24R AND MAINTAIN 8000. AFTER XING DENAY AT 8000 FT WE WERE CLRED FOR ILS 24R. WHICH PUT US IN A POS ABOVE THE GS. CAPT WAS HAND FLYING ACFT AND NOSED IT OVER TO INTERCEPT GS. AIRSPD 270 KTS. CAPT ASKED FOR GEAR, THEN FLAPS 5. WHAT CAPT DID NEXT I WAS UNAWARE OF DUE TO SMOOTH CHARACTERISTICS OF ACFT. CAPT DEPLOYED FULLY THE SPOILERS IN ORDER TO CATCH GS. JUST OUTSIDE OF ROMEN (OM) WE WENT THROUGH GS AT HIGH RATE OF DSCNT. I CALLED OUT IN ORDER 1) GS. 2) BELOW GS. 3) WAY BELOW CAPT! AT THIS TIME LAX TWR WANTED TO KNOW OUR ALT. TO COMPOUND PROBLEM CAPT WENT TO HARD 30 DEG BANK R CHASING LOC. THEN L AGAIN. CAPT FINALLY LEVELED OFF AT 1100 FT. (FAR BELOW XING ALT AT ROMEN). CAPT FORGOT ABOUT SPOILERS OUT. I REACHED OVER AND QUICKLY RETRACTED THEM. ACFT WAS STABLE. WE REINTERCEPTED GS FOR REMAINDER OF APCH AND HAD A NORMAL LNDG. WHEN WE WERE AT 1100 (400 FT LOW) APPARENTLY THE WARNING BELLS WERE SET OFF IN THE TWR. AT THIS POINT THE LAX TWR DEMANDED AT ALT RPT. I HAVE MADE THOUSANDS OF APCHS INTO LAX AND EVERY ONE IS HECTIC. LAX APCH KEEPS ARRS UP BTWN 8000 AND 12000 MUCH TOO LONG. SO WHEN WE ARE CLRED FOR THE APCH IT IS A CATCH UP GAME! AND THE ACFT IS A VERY CLEAN WING DIFFICULT TO GET DOWN AND EASY TO GET BEHIND. THERE IS NO WARNING DEVICE WHEN THE SPOILERS ARE DEPLOYED. THIS WAS A NIGHT APCH. COCKPIT IS DARK AND HANDLE ON CAPTS IS DIFFICULT TO NOTICE WHEN IT IS BEING USED. THE CAPT SEEMED CONFUSED ABOUT LOC. WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO HIGH RATE OF SINK AND WANTED THE FLT DIRECTOR RESET (WHICH TAKES 2 HANDS) NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS CONFUSION. THE SPOILERS OUT DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR HIGH SINK RATE THROUGH GS BUT BEING KEPT UP HIGH ON APCH CAUSES CREWS TO TAKE ACTION IN ORDER TO GET ACFT DOWN. OUR FLT DIRECTOR GIVES NO INFO WHEN WE'RE ABOVE GS AND TRYING TO REINTERCEPT AND THE CAPT JUST SEEMED TO BE VERY CONFUSED. I DIDN'T NOTICE SPOILERS OUT UNTIL WE HAD ALREADY GONE FAR BELOW OUR ALT. I AM NEW ON THIS ACFT AND AM STILL LEARNING VERY MUCH ABOUT FLYING IT. A NORMAL APCH TO LAX WOULD HAVE HELPED US OUT A LOT BUT LOOKING AT LAX VOLUME THIS IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY. MY PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT USING SPOILERS TO GET DOWN MAYBE PF SHOULD KEEP HAND ON SPOILERS WHILE THEY ARE BEING USED SO HE WON'T FORGET WHEN WORKLOAD INCREASES. AS FAR AS CAPT CONFUSION YOU WILL HAVE TO READ HIS RPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.