Narrative:

Situation was a visual approach to runway 8L at hnl with the first officer flying the aircraft. WX was clear, winds light. During the approach, the first officer was fast. Passing 1000 ft AGL, flaps were at 15 degrees. I told him to keep slowing so that we could get the remaining flaps down. He was slowing nicely and by 500 ft AGL, flaps were being lowered to 30 degrees for the final confign. The flaps were in transit passing 500 ft AGL and we got the 'too low flaps' warning. I elected to continue the approach and the landing was smooth well within the touchdown zone. Even though the final outcome was uneventful, I felt that I had made an error in judgement in not making a go around. By 500 ft AGL, we were on profile, engines spooled, descent rate normal, and flaps in transit to flaps 30 degrees, but the final confign, even though close, was not complete. We should have executed a missed approach. I didn't because the WX was clear and the wind light, with a normal descent rate on GS. The runway was over 12300 ft long and dry. Conditions were ideal. I felt that to continue was safe and it was in fact completed normally. But we should have made a missed approach because we were still out of the SOP envelope no matter how slightly. In the future, I will execute the missed approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FO HAS A TOO LOW FLAP WARNING AT 500 FT AGL DUE TO LNDG FLAPS STILL IN TRANSIT. COMPANY OPERATING MANUAL REQUIRES GAR WHICH THE CAPT DID NOT ORDER.

Narrative: SIT WAS A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L AT HNL WITH THE FO FLYING THE ACFT. WX WAS CLR, WINDS LIGHT. DURING THE APCH, THE FO WAS FAST. PASSING 1000 FT AGL, FLAPS WERE AT 15 DEGS. I TOLD HIM TO KEEP SLOWING SO THAT WE COULD GET THE REMAINING FLAPS DOWN. HE WAS SLOWING NICELY AND BY 500 FT AGL, FLAPS WERE BEING LOWERED TO 30 DEGS FOR THE FINAL CONFIGN. THE FLAPS WERE IN TRANSIT PASSING 500 FT AGL AND WE GOT THE 'TOO LOW FLAPS' WARNING. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND THE LNDG WAS SMOOTH WELL WITHIN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. EVEN THOUGH THE FINAL OUTCOME WAS UNEVENTFUL, I FELT THAT I HAD MADE AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT IN NOT MAKING A GAR. BY 500 FT AGL, WE WERE ON PROFILE, ENGS SPOOLED, DSCNT RATE NORMAL, AND FLAPS IN TRANSIT TO FLAPS 30 DEGS, BUT THE FINAL CONFIGN, EVEN THOUGH CLOSE, WAS NOT COMPLETE. WE SHOULD HAVE EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. I DIDN'T BECAUSE THE WX WAS CLR AND THE WIND LIGHT, WITH A NORMAL DSCNT RATE ON GS. THE RWY WAS OVER 12300 FT LONG AND DRY. CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL. I FELT THAT TO CONTINUE WAS SAFE AND IT WAS IN FACT COMPLETED NORMALLY. BUT WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A MISSED APCH BECAUSE WE WERE STILL OUT OF THE SOP ENVELOPE NO MATTER HOW SLIGHTLY. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL EXECUTE THE MISSED APCH.

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.