Narrative:

We were cleared to lax via the civit 2 profile descent to maintain 250 KTS. Before reaching fuelr, we were cleared for the ILS 25L upon reaching fuelr. The large transport was in the autoflt autothrottle mode navigating via the FMC. Upon reaching fuelr I selected approach. The localizer captured, however, I was a little slow selecting approach, and we were already 1 DOT high on the GS. Therefore, the GS did not capture, and we remained at 8000 ft. I selected vertical speed to start the descent, but we were already 2 dots high. As we were now high and fast, I extended the speed brakes and the captain started adding flaps. We received a restriction in our descent to 3500 ft, and we were high enough now, that gear down was selected. To add to our predicament, the autothrottle was adding power, and I was fighting it and pulling the throttle back. Finally, I shut off the autothrottle. We arrived at hunda at 4500 ft (1000 ft high and at a high rate of descent). The captain asked for lower and we were given 3200 ft. As we leveled at 3200 ft (well inside hunda) the captain asked for lower again. At this point, I was well behind the aircraft and full flaps and gear were still out. It took me a moment to realize that the autothrottle was not engaged and the aircraft slowed to the stickshaker as we leveled. I called for go around thrust and flaps 20. At this same time, approach cleared us for a descent to 2500 ft and gave us a left turn to a heading (180 degrees, I believe, then 160 degrees, then 080 degrees). As we descended and turned, the aircraft rapidly accelerated to 220 KTS at go around thrust. At this point, I finally wised up and decided to quit battling the autoflt system (which I obviously was not really in command of at this time). Almost immediately, I was able to get the airplane on heading, on airspeed, on altitude and in the confign I desired. An uneventful vector to final was followed by a normal ILS and landing. I don't believe we broke any FARS, but obviously, the whole scenario was completely unsatisfactory. I attribute this incident to the following: 1) I was behind the aircraft after passing fuelr. 2) I was obviously unable to make the aircraft do what I wanted it to do using the autoflt system. 3) I waited too long to disconnect the autoflt system and to hand fly the aircraft. The above was complicated by: 1) I am very new on the aircraft. 2) we were given an approach by ATC where we were kept fast until intercepting the GS. Then, we were given further altitude restrictions, placing us high on the GS even when I finally got us back in the ball park. To alleviate this situation in the future, I plan to: 1) learn more about the autoflt system. 2) make the decision to fly manually as soon as I feel myself getting behind or am unable to get the desired results from the autoflt system.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE COPLT FLYING AN LGT ACR ACFT WITH ADVANCED COCKPIT GOT WAY BEHIND IN HIS APCH USING ALL OF THE FANCY AUTOPLT AIDS. WITH THE HELP OF HIS CAPT AND THE APCH CTLR, HE WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY AFTER TURNING OFF THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO LAX VIA THE CIVIT 2 PROFILE DSCNT TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS. BEFORE REACHING FUELR, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS 25L UPON REACHING FUELR. THE LGT WAS IN THE AUTOFLT AUTOTHROTTLE MODE NAVING VIA THE FMC. UPON REACHING FUELR I SELECTED APCH. THE LOC CAPTURED, HOWEVER, I WAS A LITTLE SLOW SELECTING APCH, AND WE WERE ALREADY 1 DOT HIGH ON THE GS. THEREFORE, THE GS DID NOT CAPTURE, AND WE REMAINED AT 8000 FT. I SELECTED VERT SPD TO START THE DSCNT, BUT WE WERE ALREADY 2 DOTS HIGH. AS WE WERE NOW HIGH AND FAST, I EXTENDED THE SPD BRAKES AND THE CAPT STARTED ADDING FLAPS. WE RECEIVED A RESTRICTION IN OUR DSCNT TO 3500 FT, AND WE WERE HIGH ENOUGH NOW, THAT GEAR DOWN WAS SELECTED. TO ADD TO OUR PREDICAMENT, THE AUTOTHROTTLE WAS ADDING PWR, AND I WAS FIGHTING IT AND PULLING THE THROTTLE BACK. FINALLY, I SHUT OFF THE AUTOTHROTTLE. WE ARRIVED AT HUNDA AT 4500 FT (1000 FT HIGH AND AT A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT). THE CAPT ASKED FOR LOWER AND WE WERE GIVEN 3200 FT. AS WE LEVELED AT 3200 FT (WELL INSIDE HUNDA) THE CAPT ASKED FOR LOWER AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, I WAS WELL BEHIND THE ACFT AND FULL FLAPS AND GEAR WERE STILL OUT. IT TOOK ME A MOMENT TO REALIZE THAT THE AUTOTHROTTLE WAS NOT ENGAGED AND THE ACFT SLOWED TO THE STICKSHAKER AS WE LEVELED. I CALLED FOR GAR THRUST AND FLAPS 20. AT THIS SAME TIME, APCH CLRED US FOR A DSCNT TO 2500 FT AND GAVE US A L TURN TO A HDG (180 DEGS, I BELIEVE, THEN 160 DEGS, THEN 080 DEGS). AS WE DSNDED AND TURNED, THE ACFT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TO 220 KTS AT GAR THRUST. AT THIS POINT, I FINALLY WISED UP AND DECIDED TO QUIT BATTLING THE AUTOFLT SYS (WHICH I OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT REALLY IN COMMAND OF AT THIS TIME). ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON HDG, ON AIRSPD, ON ALT AND IN THE CONFIGN I DESIRED. AN UNEVENTFUL VECTOR TO FINAL WAS FOLLOWED BY A NORMAL ILS AND LNDG. I DON'T BELIEVE WE BROKE ANY FARS, BUT OBVIOUSLY, THE WHOLE SCENARIO WAS COMPLETELY UNSATISFACTORY. I ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO THE FOLLOWING: 1) I WAS BEHIND THE ACFT AFTER PASSING FUELR. 2) I WAS OBVIOUSLY UNABLE TO MAKE THE ACFT DO WHAT I WANTED IT TO DO USING THE AUTOFLT SYS. 3) I WAITED TOO LONG TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOFLT SYS AND TO HAND FLY THE ACFT. THE ABOVE WAS COMPLICATED BY: 1) I AM VERY NEW ON THE ACFT. 2) WE WERE GIVEN AN APCH BY ATC WHERE WE WERE KEPT FAST UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE GS. THEN, WE WERE GIVEN FURTHER ALT RESTRICTIONS, PLACING US HIGH ON THE GS EVEN WHEN I FINALLY GOT US BACK IN THE BALL PARK. TO ALLEVIATE THIS SITUATION IN THE FUTURE, I PLAN TO: 1) LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AUTOFLT SYS. 2) MAKE THE DECISION TO FLY MANUALLY AS SOON AS I FEEL MYSELF GETTING BEHIND OR AM UNABLE TO GET THE DESIRED RESULTS FROM THE AUTOFLT SYS.

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.