Narrative:

Approach control cleared us to 7200 ft initial approach altitude for runway 16R at rno. Because our present altitude was higher than normal, I called for 'gear-down' and extended speed brakes to aid descent. I intercepted runway 16R localizer and tracked inbound while still descending. Sink rate about 3000 FPM. At 8200 ft the altitude alert signaled and the copilot and I exchanged acknowledgements. I raised the nose to arrest sink rate and decelerate at 7200 ft. Approaching zero-flap vma. I applied thrust and noticed I was using considerably more than normal to maintain level flight. Airspeed was 210 KT and decaying. Landing weight was approximately 120000 pounds and vma about 180 KTS. At approximately 200 KTS, I got the stall shaker without any unusually high nose attitude. I instinctively lowered the nose and added thrust. We were now descending below 7200 ft and below GS prior to the OM. At 6500 ft the GPWS issued a 'terrain' warning. The flight engineer then informed me the speed brakes were still extended. I immediately retracted them, called for 'flaps-2 degrees' and called the airport 'in- sight.' we were then cleared for a visual to runway 16L and made a normal approach and landing. Analyzing these events, I had forgotten the speed brakes were deployed. The landing gear was down to aid descent but was now a large drag device in level flight. Additionally, I was in a non-standard approach profile. Getting the stall shaker at 200 KTS confused me and my instinct to lower the nose and add thrust was triggered although I was still losing altitude over mountainous terrain. These actions prevented a stall but accelerated altitude loss. The rno area is mountainous and we got within GPWS terrain warning range at 6500 ft. Fortunately, my flight engineer called my attention to the speed brakes. I have been thoroughly trained in terrain avoidance maneuvers but did not execute them since I was focused on airspeed and altitude control. Our schedule was msp to dfw, dfw to oak, oak to rno. We all received 15 hours rest prior to these trips yet all of us felt extremely lethargic and fatigued upon arrival at oak. Working 11:28 hours of scheduled duty at this time of day, I believe, is the major cause of this fatigue feeling, resulting in a gross impairment of our judgement. Adequate crew rest prior to this trip pairing is not an answer. A shorter duty period is required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FLC HAS STICK SHAKER ACTIVATE WHEN DECELERATING TO LEVEL FLT. GPWS ACTIVATES.

Narrative: APCH CTL CLRED US TO 7200 FT INITIAL APCH ALT FOR RWY 16R AT RNO. BECAUSE OUR PRESENT ALT WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL, I CALLED FOR 'GEAR-DOWN' AND EXTENDED SPD BRAKES TO AID DSCNT. I INTERCEPTED RWY 16R LOC AND TRACKED INBOUND WHILE STILL DSNDING. SINK RATE ABOUT 3000 FPM. AT 8200 FT THE ALT ALERT SIGNALED AND THE COPLT AND I EXCHANGED ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I RAISED THE NOSE TO ARREST SINK RATE AND DECELERATE AT 7200 FT. APCHING ZERO-FLAP VMA. I APPLIED THRUST AND NOTICED I WAS USING CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN NORMAL TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. AIRSPD WAS 210 KT AND DECAYING. LNDG WT WAS APPROX 120000 LBS AND VMA ABOUT 180 KTS. AT APPROX 200 KTS, I GOT THE STALL SHAKER WITHOUT ANY UNUSUALLY HIGH NOSE ATTITUDE. I INSTINCTIVELY LOWERED THE NOSE AND ADDED THRUST. WE WERE NOW DSNDING BELOW 7200 FT AND BELOW GS PRIOR TO THE OM. AT 6500 FT THE GPWS ISSUED A 'TERRAIN' WARNING. THE FE THEN INFORMED ME THE SPD BRAKES WERE STILL EXTENDED. I IMMEDIATELY RETRACTED THEM, CALLED FOR 'FLAPS-2 DEGS' AND CALLED THE ARPT 'IN- SIGHT.' WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 16L AND MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. ANALYZING THESE EVENTS, I HAD FORGOTTEN THE SPD BRAKES WERE DEPLOYED. THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN TO AID DSCNT BUT WAS NOW A LARGE DRAG DEVICE IN LEVEL FLT. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS IN A NON-STANDARD APCH PROFILE. GETTING THE STALL SHAKER AT 200 KTS CONFUSED ME AND MY INSTINCT TO LOWER THE NOSE AND ADD THRUST WAS TRIGGERED ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL LOSING ALT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THESE ACTIONS PREVENTED A STALL BUT ACCELERATED ALT LOSS. THE RNO AREA IS MOUNTAINOUS AND WE GOT WITHIN GPWS TERRAIN WARNING RANGE AT 6500 FT. FORTUNATELY, MY FE CALLED MY ATTN TO THE SPD BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY TRAINED IN TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS BUT DID NOT EXECUTE THEM SINCE I WAS FOCUSED ON AIRSPD AND ALT CTL. OUR SCHEDULE WAS MSP TO DFW, DFW TO OAK, OAK TO RNO. WE ALL RECEIVED 15 HRS REST PRIOR TO THESE TRIPS YET ALL OF US FELT EXTREMELY LETHARGIC AND FATIGUED UPON ARR AT OAK. WORKING 11:28 HRS OF SCHEDULED DUTY AT THIS TIME OF DAY, I BELIEVE, IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF THIS FATIGUE FEELING, RESULTING IN A GROSS IMPAIRMENT OF OUR JUDGEMENT. ADEQUATE CREW REST PRIOR TO THIS TRIP PAIRING IS NOT AN ANSWER. A SHORTER DUTY PERIOD IS REQUIRED.

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.