Narrative:

I was the pilot monitoring on this flight. We were being vectored for the ILS runway 18L at clt. Approach control was rather busy and seemed to be trying to hurry us into the sequence for the approach. On our base leg vector, I asked the controller if he still wanted us at our assigned speed of 210 KTS. He said yes. Shortly after that, he cleared us for the approach, told us to slow to 170 KTS and maintain that to the marker. The problem was that we were only 5 mi from the marker and it was difficult to slow and configure. When we were changed to tower, we were cleared to land. Shortly after that, the final monitor told us to slow to our final approach speed, or we would be broken out. We were doing all we could to slow and finally did get slowed down. This type of vector/speed assignment was very unsafe. It makes it hard on the crew to conduct a stabilized approach when we are kept fast until the last min and then told to slow down in a very short distance. We should have been given more room to slow down and configure the aircraft. I see this happen quite often all over the ATC system, not just in clt.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 FLC CONCERNED WITH ATC HANDLING OF 'FLY FAST,' 'FLY SLOW' TECHNIQUE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH A STABLE APCH.

Narrative: I WAS THE PLT MONITORING ON THIS FLT. WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS RWY 18L AT CLT. APCH CTL WAS RATHER BUSY AND SEEMED TO BE TRYING TO HURRY US INTO THE SEQUENCE FOR THE APCH. ON OUR BASE LEG VECTOR, I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE STILL WANTED US AT OUR ASSIGNED SPD OF 210 KTS. HE SAID YES. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, HE CLRED US FOR THE APCH, TOLD US TO SLOW TO 170 KTS AND MAINTAIN THAT TO THE MARKER. THE PROB WAS THAT WE WERE ONLY 5 MI FROM THE MARKER AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SLOW AND CONFIGURE. WHEN WE WERE CHANGED TO TWR, WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE FINAL MONITOR TOLD US TO SLOW TO OUR FINAL APCH SPD, OR WE WOULD BE BROKEN OUT. WE WERE DOING ALL WE COULD TO SLOW AND FINALLY DID GET SLOWED DOWN. THIS TYPE OF VECTOR/SPD ASSIGNMENT WAS VERY UNSAFE. IT MAKES IT HARD ON THE CREW TO CONDUCT A STABILIZED APCH WHEN WE ARE KEPT FAST UNTIL THE LAST MIN AND THEN TOLD TO SLOW DOWN IN A VERY SHORT DISTANCE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN MORE ROOM TO SLOW DOWN AND CONFIGURE THE ACFT. I SEE THIS HAPPEN QUITE OFTEN ALL OVER THE ATC SYS, NOT JUST IN CLT.

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.