B737 crew was given a late descent clearance.

Attributes
ACN	421460
Time
Date	199811
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : chs
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1546
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	421460
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

This field presents a continuing problem of late dscnts offered by ATC from north arriving aircraft landing to the south. (Typically clt-chs via cae.) captain, flying, did not accelerate descent to compensate. With airport in sight, approach cleared us for visual to runway 15. Somewhat high descent rate required. Turning final, inside the marker, a fog or cloud layer, previously unseen, partially obscured the touchdown zone, though most of runway was in sight. Approach, evidently also working tower, preemptively cleared us for ILS approach. The descent rate, for ILS approach, was then a bit high for company standards. We stabilized at about 500 ft. Ok for visual, but not for ILS. However, we did not have reason to expect obscuration. I think this was a well- handled situation on the part of the controller who, having lost sight of us, realized that we must be losing the field as well. (He asked, 'is there a layer out there or something?') also, I thought the captain flew nicely on the localizer and never below GS, although the rate was high. Just wondering whether we should have gone around. It happened very quickly, though the late descent from ZJX is normal at chs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW WAS GIVEN A LATE DSCNT CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS FIELD PRESENTS A CONTINUING PROB OF LATE DSCNTS OFFERED BY ATC FROM N ARRIVING ACFT LNDG TO THE S. (TYPICALLY CLT-CHS VIA CAE.) CAPT, FLYING, DID NOT ACCELERATE DSCNT TO COMPENSATE. WITH ARPT IN SIGHT, APCH CLRED US FOR VISUAL TO RWY 15. SOMEWHAT HIGH DSCNT RATE REQUIRED. TURNING FINAL, INSIDE THE MARKER, A FOG OR CLOUD LAYER, PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN, PARTIALLY OBSCURED THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE, THOUGH MOST OF RWY WAS IN SIGHT. APCH, EVIDENTLY ALSO WORKING TWR, PREEMPTIVELY CLRED US FOR ILS APCH. THE DSCNT RATE, FOR ILS APCH, WAS THEN A BIT HIGH FOR COMPANY STANDARDS. WE STABILIZED AT ABOUT 500 FT. OK FOR VISUAL, BUT NOT FOR ILS. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT HAVE REASON TO EXPECT OBSCURATION. I THINK THIS WAS A WELL- HANDLED SIT ON THE PART OF THE CTLR WHO, HAVING LOST SIGHT OF US, REALIZED THAT WE MUST BE LOSING THE FIELD AS WELL. (HE ASKED, 'IS THERE A LAYER OUT THERE OR SOMETHING?') ALSO, I THOUGHT THE CAPT FLEW NICELY ON THE LOC AND NEVER BELOW GS, ALTHOUGH THE RATE WAS HIGH. JUST WONDERING WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND. IT HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY, THOUGH THE LATE DSCNT FROM ZJX IS NORMAL AT CHS.

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.