Narrative:

Air carrier scheduled flight. First officer first time into tus. Briefed (fl) visual approach to runway 29R at tus, backed up visual with VOR DME approach. Conditions were clear, night, full moon. Approach vectored us for left downwind to runway 29R at 5000 ft MSL. First officer slowed. Approach descent checklist completed. Asked for and received radar vectors to left base for runway 29R. As we approached extended runway centerline with first officer concurrence and runway 29R clearly in sight, I asked for and received clearance for visual approach to runway 29R and instructions to call tower. At the same time first officer called for gear down, managed speed and final checklist. First officer was flying manually with autothrottle on. I put the gear handle down, pushed the managed speed button and called tower. By the time I got clearance and looked at the flight instruments we were at 200 KTS. The autothrottles were accelerating the aircraft. We had forgotten to activate and confirm the approach in the FMS. The speed had gone to clean maneuvering speed. We were about to exceed flaps 2 degrees maximum speed. I told first officer to fly manually, which he did. By this time we were high on the visual GS and fast. I went into the FMS computer to correct the problem, while first officer corrected with throttles idle and speed brake extended. We continued to configure the aircraft for landing flaps 3 degrees and the flaps full. We subsequently went low on the visual GS. About 2-3 mi from runway, 'too low terrain' sounded on the GPWS. Realizing we were low, I stated 'you are low.' first officer stopped descending. He stated he could see the ground and we were ok, leveloff was at 300-350 ft AGL. First officer corrected to the visual GS. Landing uneventful. Lessons learned: 1) don't forget to activate and confirm approach in FMGC. 2) if you forget, pull speed knob out immediately and set the desired approach speed manually. 3) with no ILS, brief altitudes and DME's off VOR or localizer approach chart and accurately set them in altitude window. 4) practice manual flying more. 5) deviations from a visual GS are insidious at night. Pay close attention to descent rates and xchk 300 ft per mi if available. 6) any GPWS alert on approach at night execute a missed approach. 7) aviate, navigation, then communicate. Supplemental information from acn 438430: configure earlier going to an unfamiliar airport.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR RECEIVED GPWS TERRAIN WARNING ON VISUAL APCH. AUTOMATIC SYS OVERRIDDEN AND LNDG COMPLETED.

Narrative: ACR SCHEDULED FLT. FO FIRST TIME INTO TUS. BRIEFED (FL) VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29R AT TUS, BACKED UP VISUAL WITH VOR DME APCH. CONDITIONS WERE CLR, NIGHT, FULL MOON. APCH VECTORED US FOR L DOWNWIND TO RWY 29R AT 5000 FT MSL. FO SLOWED. APCH DSCNT CHKLIST COMPLETED. ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS TO L BASE FOR RWY 29R. AS WE APCHED EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE WITH FO CONCURRENCE AND RWY 29R CLRLY IN SIGHT, I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29R AND INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL TWR. AT THE SAME TIME FO CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN, MANAGED SPD AND FINAL CHKLIST. FO WAS FLYING MANUALLY WITH AUTOTHROTTLE ON. I PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN, PUSHED THE MANAGED SPD BUTTON AND CALLED TWR. BY THE TIME I GOT CLRNC AND LOOKED AT THE FLT INSTS WE WERE AT 200 KTS. THE AUTOTHROTTLES WERE ACCELERATING THE ACFT. WE HAD FORGOTTEN TO ACTIVATE AND CONFIRM THE APCH IN THE FMS. THE SPD HAD GONE TO CLEAN MANEUVERING SPD. WE WERE ABOUT TO EXCEED FLAPS 2 DEGS MAX SPD. I TOLD FO TO FLY MANUALLY, WHICH HE DID. BY THIS TIME WE WERE HIGH ON THE VISUAL GS AND FAST. I WENT INTO THE FMS COMPUTER TO CORRECT THE PROB, WHILE FO CORRECTED WITH THROTTLES IDLE AND SPD BRAKE EXTENDED. WE CONTINUED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG FLAPS 3 DEGS AND THE FLAPS FULL. WE SUBSEQUENTLY WENT LOW ON THE VISUAL GS. ABOUT 2-3 MI FROM RWY, 'TOO LOW TERRAIN' SOUNDED ON THE GPWS. REALIZING WE WERE LOW, I STATED 'YOU ARE LOW.' FO STOPPED DSNDING. HE STATED HE COULD SEE THE GND AND WE WERE OK, LEVELOFF WAS AT 300-350 FT AGL. FO CORRECTED TO THE VISUAL GS. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) DON'T FORGET TO ACTIVATE AND CONFIRM APCH IN FMGC. 2) IF YOU FORGET, PULL SPD KNOB OUT IMMEDIATELY AND SET THE DESIRED APCH SPD MANUALLY. 3) WITH NO ILS, BRIEF ALTS AND DME'S OFF VOR OR LOC APCH CHART AND ACCURATELY SET THEM IN ALT WINDOW. 4) PRACTICE MANUAL FLYING MORE. 5) DEVS FROM A VISUAL GS ARE INSIDIOUS AT NIGHT. PAY CLOSE ATTN TO DSCNT RATES AND XCHK 300 FT PER MI IF AVAILABLE. 6) ANY GPWS ALERT ON APCH AT NIGHT EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. 7) AVIATE, NAV, THEN COMMUNICATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 438430: CONFIGURE EARLIER GOING TO AN UNFAMILIAR 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.