Narrative:

I flew as captain of air carrier flight this date, from portland (pdx) to seattle (sea). The WX was cloudy with the lowest scattered layer at about 1000 ft AGL. Visibility was approximately 5 mi. The first officer was flying and we briefed for an ILS 16R approach. The first officer has about 800 hours in the widebody transport and is also a currently qualified check airman on the large transport. I am a proficiency check airman on the widebody transport and have noted that this first officer is above average in ability. We were assigned 210 KTS and turned onto a radar base leg at 5000 ft. We were then cleared to 3200 ft and soon given a 140 degree turn to intercept the ILS 16R and told to maintain 3000 ft to intercept. This was inside the 11 ILS DME fix, about 4 mi from the marker. This would have been no problem if we had been given time to reach 3000 ft and slow to about 170 KTS. The result was an obvious capture from above and the beginning of what was going to be an unstabilized approach if continued. At this time we were instructed to call the tower. I did and noticed through the undercast that we were over boeing field and still full scale high on the GS. The first officer was not able to get slowed and I advised the tower that we wanted to go back to the departure controller for a revectoring. The radar controller cleared us up to 5000 ft and back around for a very nice turn on. At no time during this arrival or missed approach were any clrncs or altitudes violated, but I wanted to submit this as an example of what appears to be a nationwide trend to satisfy noise abatement and increase capacity. I'm in favor of both, however, I believe we are putting aircraft in position where it is difficult to smoothly and occasionally safely execute the approach. We are insistent that our crews give up fuel conservation at the final fix and stabilize the approach. The industry had some very bad experiences during the transition to jets. This is especially true in widebody transport aircraft with increased use of autoflt system to fly the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ACFT WAS TURNED ON TO FINAL APCH TOO HIGH AND FAST RESULTING IN THE FLC NOT COMPLYING WITH ATC CLRNC AND SPD REQUIREMENTS IN AN ATA.

Narrative: I FLEW AS CAPT OF ACR FLT THIS DATE, FROM PORTLAND (PDX) TO SEATTLE (SEA). THE WX WAS CLOUDY WITH THE LOWEST SCATTERED LAYER AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 5 MI. THE FO WAS FLYING AND WE BRIEFED FOR AN ILS 16R APCH. THE FO HAS ABOUT 800 HRS IN THE WDB AND IS ALSO A CURRENTLY QUALIFIED CHK AIRMAN ON THE LGT. I AM A PROFICIENCY CHK AIRMAN ON THE WDB AND HAVE NOTED THAT THIS FO IS ABOVE AVERAGE IN ABILITY. WE WERE ASSIGNED 210 KTS AND TURNED ONTO A RADAR BASE LEG AT 5000 FT. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 3200 FT AND SOON GIVEN A 140 DEG TURN TO INTERCEPT THE ILS 16R AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT TO INTERCEPT. THIS WAS INSIDE THE 11 ILS DME FIX, ABOUT 4 MI FROM THE MARKER. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEM IF WE HAD BEEN GIVEN TIME TO REACH 3000 FT AND SLOW TO ABOUT 170 KTS. THE RESULT WAS AN OBVIOUS CAPTURE FROM ABOVE AND THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WAS GOING TO BE AN UNSTABILIZED APCH IF CONTINUED. AT THIS TIME WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR. I DID AND NOTICED THROUGH THE UNDERCAST THAT WE WERE OVER BOEING FIELD AND STILL FULL SCALE HIGH ON THE GS. THE FO WAS NOT ABLE TO GET SLOWED AND I ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE DEP CTLR FOR A REVECTORING. THE RADAR CTLR CLRED US UP TO 5000 FT AND BACK AROUND FOR A VERY NICE TURN ON. AT NO TIME DURING THIS ARR OR MISSED APCH WERE ANY CLRNCS OR ALTS VIOLATED, BUT I WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A NATIONWIDE TREND TO SATISFY NOISE ABATEMENT AND INCREASE CAPACITY. I'M IN FAVOR OF BOTH, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE WE ARE PUTTING ACFT IN POS WHERE IT IS DIFFICULT TO SMOOTHLY AND OCCASIONALLY SAFELY EXECUTE THE APCH. WE ARE INSISTENT THAT OUR CREWS GIVE UP FUEL CONSERVATION AT THE FINAL FIX AND STABILIZE THE APCH. THE INDUSTRY HAD SOME VERY BAD EXPERIENCES DURING THE TRANSITION TO JETS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN WDB ACFT WITH INCREASED USE OF AUTOFLT SYS TO FLY THE APCH.

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.