Narrative:

Based on initial southerly winds, we planned and briefed an ILS runway 16R at rno. After receiving the ATIS, we changed this to the localizer back course runway 34L. On westerly vectors below the clouds, ATC called out 11 O'clock position traffic for the parallel runway, 'runway 34L.' that puzzled us since we were going to runway 34L. The controller replied that we'd have to go to runway 34R unless we could find the traffic. Rather than switch runways, we found the traffic and continued westerly to get spacing. The captain stayed too high in my opinion, but was probably concerned with the mountains to the west. We finally turned back to final and configured for landing, but we were rather steep, descending with the autothrust in idle, and the captain was hand-flying the aircraft. Sometime after we were switched to tower, they changed runways on us to runway 34R. Rather than challenge them on this, we accepted. Now I am heads down, with minimal time to observe flight conditions, programming the FMS. The captain is also very worried about whether we meet weight restrs to land on this runway, so I am using ACARS to get landing data. Finally I am finished. I looked up at 200 ft AGL and notice that the autothrust is commanding the engines to idle. Even now, I am not sure whether it is because one of us set too low a capture altitude and the FMS was in an idle/open descent, or because of some malfunction, or just because we were still slightly high and on-speed, but with a tailwind. The captain called for flight directors 'off' to ensure the autothrust was in the speed mode. A better method would have been to manual position the thrust levers, turn autothrust off, which would have commanded the engine to spool up. In any case, it appeared as though the engines were spooling up as we touched down hard. The captain believes that his preoccupation with my idle callout resulted in a late flare. I am not so sure. Other factors. After awakening at early am EST, this incident occurred at the end of a 12 hour duty day. It was also late afternoon on my body clock -- we made some questionable decisions and let ATC hurry us. A 270 degree turn onto final would have given us more time to descend. A denial of the other landing runway would also have been appropriate. I should not have spent time with my head down so close to the ground. Changing approachs in FMS equipped airplanes requires much more preparation than conventional aircraft -- that is the price we pay for this automation. Supplemental information from acn 465098: during visual approach runway 34R rno, using 4 light PAPI and on normal sink rate 700-800 FPM. PNF reported low power state/near idle. PF (this pilot) was late flaring and aircraft landed firmly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 PIC PERFORMS A HARD LNDG AFTER A DESTABILIZED APCH AT RNO, NV.

Narrative: BASED ON INITIAL SOUTHERLY WINDS, WE PLANNED AND BRIEFED AN ILS RWY 16R AT RNO. AFTER RECEIVING THE ATIS, WE CHANGED THIS TO THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 34L. ON WESTERLY VECTORS BELOW THE CLOUDS, ATC CALLED OUT 11 O'CLOCK POS TFC FOR THE PARALLEL RWY, 'RWY 34L.' THAT PUZZLED US SINCE WE WERE GOING TO RWY 34L. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT WE'D HAVE TO GO TO RWY 34R UNLESS WE COULD FIND THE TFC. RATHER THAN SWITCH RWYS, WE FOUND THE TFC AND CONTINUED WESTERLY TO GET SPACING. THE CAPT STAYED TOO HIGH IN MY OPINION, BUT WAS PROBABLY CONCERNED WITH THE MOUNTAINS TO THE W. WE FINALLY TURNED BACK TO FINAL AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG, BUT WE WERE RATHER STEEP, DSNDING WITH THE AUTOTHRUST IN IDLE, AND THE CAPT WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. SOMETIME AFTER WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR, THEY CHANGED RWYS ON US TO RWY 34R. RATHER THAN CHALLENGE THEM ON THIS, WE ACCEPTED. NOW I AM HEADS DOWN, WITH MINIMAL TIME TO OBSERVE FLT CONDITIONS, PROGRAMMING THE FMS. THE CAPT IS ALSO VERY WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER WE MEET WT RESTRS TO LAND ON THIS RWY, SO I AM USING ACARS TO GET LNDG DATA. FINALLY I AM FINISHED. I LOOKED UP AT 200 FT AGL AND NOTICE THAT THE AUTOTHRUST IS COMMANDING THE ENGS TO IDLE. EVEN NOW, I AM NOT SURE WHETHER IT IS BECAUSE ONE OF US SET TOO LOW A CAPTURE ALT AND THE FMS WAS IN AN IDLE/OPEN DSCNT, OR BECAUSE OF SOME MALFUNCTION, OR JUST BECAUSE WE WERE STILL SLIGHTLY HIGH AND ON-SPD, BUT WITH A TAILWIND. THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLT DIRECTORS 'OFF' TO ENSURE THE AUTOTHRUST WAS IN THE SPD MODE. A BETTER METHOD WOULD HAVE BEEN TO MANUAL POS THE THRUST LEVERS, TURN AUTOTHRUST OFF, WHICH WOULD HAVE COMMANDED THE ENG TO SPOOL UP. IN ANY CASE, IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THE ENGS WERE SPOOLING UP AS WE TOUCHED DOWN HARD. THE CAPT BELIEVES THAT HIS PREOCCUPATION WITH MY IDLE CALLOUT RESULTED IN A LATE FLARE. I AM NOT SO SURE. OTHER FACTORS. AFTER AWAKENING AT EARLY AM EST, THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A 12 HR DUTY DAY. IT WAS ALSO LATE AFTERNOON ON MY BODY CLOCK -- WE MADE SOME QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS AND LET ATC HURRY US. A 270 DEG TURN ONTO FINAL WOULD HAVE GIVEN US MORE TIME TO DSND. A DENIAL OF THE OTHER LNDG RWY WOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE SPENT TIME WITH MY HEAD DOWN SO CLOSE TO THE GND. CHANGING APCHS IN FMS EQUIPPED AIRPLANES REQUIRES MUCH MORE PREPARATION THAN CONVENTIONAL ACFT -- THAT IS THE PRICE WE PAY FOR THIS AUTOMATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 465098: DURING VISUAL APCH RWY 34R RNO, USING 4 LIGHT PAPI AND ON NORMAL SINK RATE 700-800 FPM. PNF RPTED LOW PWR STATE/NEAR IDLE. PF (THIS PLT) WAS LATE FLARING AND ACFT LANDED FIRMLY.

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.