Narrative:

We were being vectored from the northwest for a mount vernon visual approach to runway 36 dca. The widebody transport was being flown on autoplt with input through the FCU. I was expecting a turn on the south side of P-73 to join the dca 10.1 at 2500 ft. Instead we were given a turn to the east a few mi north of P-73 at a higher than normal altitude (a 'slam dunk') trying to descend and dirty up while trying to keep up with the autoflt began to fall apart. At that point I should've disengaged the autoflt and flight director and flown the widebody transport like a normal airplane. For reasons I'm not completely sure of, the aircraft began to add power and accelerate while I was dialing in a slower speed on the FCU. (I think the flight director may have gone into altitude capture thus causing power to increase in order to climb back to the dialed in altitude.) at that point we were heading east across the potomac river and were told to head north to reintercept the mount vernon approach. At that point I disengaged all autoflt and flight director and flew the airplane back where it should've been. Trying to utilize all the magic of the widebody transport. While inexperienced in the widebody transport (1 month on the line) led to me being behind the airplane during the crucial approach phase. In the future when I am 'slam-dunked' on a visual approach I am going to fly the widebody transport as a normal plane rather than trying to fly the computer, so that the computer can fly the plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB SPD DEV AND TRACK HDG DEV AS INEXPERIENCED FO TRIES TO FLY THE ACFT USING THE FMS.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FROM THE NW FOR A MOUNT VERNON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36 DCA. THE WDB WAS BEING FLOWN ON AUTOPLT WITH INPUT THROUGH THE FCU. I WAS EXPECTING A TURN ON THE S SIDE OF P-73 TO JOIN THE DCA 10.1 AT 2500 FT. INSTEAD WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO THE E A FEW MI N OF P-73 AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL ALT (A 'SLAM DUNK') TRYING TO DSND AND DIRTY UP WHILE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE AUTOFLT BEGAN TO FALL APART. AT THAT POINT I SHOULD'VE DISENGAGED THE AUTOFLT AND FLT DIRECTOR AND FLOWN THE WDB LIKE A NORMAL AIRPLANE. FOR REASONS I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE OF, THE ACFT BEGAN TO ADD PWR AND ACCELERATE WHILE I WAS DIALING IN A SLOWER SPD ON THE FCU. (I THINK THE FLT DIRECTOR MAY HAVE GONE INTO ALT CAPTURE THUS CAUSING PWR TO INCREASE IN ORDER TO CLB BACK TO THE DIALED IN ALT.) AT THAT POINT WE WERE HDG E ACROSS THE POTOMAC RIVER AND WERE TOLD TO HEAD N TO REINTERCEPT THE MOUNT VERNON APCH. AT THAT POINT I DISENGAGED ALL AUTOFLT AND FLT DIRECTOR AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK WHERE IT SHOULD'VE BEEN. TRYING TO UTILIZE ALL THE MAGIC OF THE WDB. WHILE INEXPERIENCED IN THE WDB (1 MONTH ON THE LINE) LED TO ME BEING BEHIND THE AIRPLANE DURING THE CRUCIAL APCH PHASE. IN THE FUTURE WHEN I AM 'SLAM-DUNKED' ON A VISUAL APCH I AM GOING TO FLY THE WDB AS A NORMAL PLANE RATHER THAN TRYING TO FLY THE COMPUTER, SO THAT THE COMPUTER CAN FLY THE PLANE.

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.