B737-300 flight crew held high and close then cleared for visual has unstable approach.

Attributes
ACN	331920
Time
Date	199603
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	331920
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The first officer was flying a visual approach to den airport. Approach control kept our aircraft very high and close before issuing a clearance for the visual approach to runway 16. (We were expecting runway 17R.) during subsequent attempt to configure and descend very close to the airport, 'sink rate' was annunciated several times prior to capturing the glide path, at approximately 500 ft AGL. The workload was very high and in retrospect I should not have accepted the visual from the point from which we were cleared, or should have requested a vector to lose altitude. Den approach makes a practice of keeping aircraft high and close in for noise abatement considerations. This practice, while I'm sure is necessary, should be modified so as to allow for a normal descent rate to landing not closer than 5 mi from the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC HELD HIGH AND CLOSE THEN CLRED FOR VISUAL HAS UNSTABLE APCH.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING A VISUAL APCH TO DEN ARPT. APCH CTL KEPT OUR ACFT VERY HIGH AND CLOSE BEFORE ISSUING A CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16. (WE WERE EXPECTING RWY 17R.) DURING SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPT TO CONFIGURE AND DSND VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT, 'SINK RATE' WAS ANNUNCIATED SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO CAPTURING THE GLIDE PATH, AT APPROX 500 FT AGL. THE WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH AND IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL FROM THE POINT FROM WHICH WE WERE CLRED, OR SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A VECTOR TO LOSE ALT. DEN APCH MAKES A PRACTICE OF KEEPING ACFT HIGH AND CLOSE IN FOR NOISE ABATEMENT CONSIDERATIONS. THIS PRACTICE, WHILE I'M SURE IS NECESSARY, SHOULD BE MODIFIED SO AS TO ALLOW FOR A NORMAL DSCNT RATE TO LNDG NOT CLOSER THAN 5 MI FROM THE ARPT.

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.