Narrative:

Returning from a 3-LEG all-nighter trip from 2 central american cities, we approached mia airport at a time of peak traffic operation. The airport was operating using parallel, converging and intersecting runways, specifically runway 27L, runway 27R, and runway 30. Numerous speed changes were given to us to facilitate this sandwiching of aircraft arrs and departures on crossing runways. A speed above final flap extension speed was maintained initially, delaying final flap extension until later in the approach. After extensive vectoring, the aircraft was finally cleared for a visual approach to runway 27L. TA's were given for B757 aircraft on approach to crossing runway 30 ('report in sight'), and a B727 aircraft was put into position for takeoff, holding until the B757 landed, and we were advised 'he would depart prior to arrival.' we were below 2000 ft AGL on approach at that time. This was distracting to the crew, and landing gear, final flap extension, and subsequent landing checklist was delayed to a lower than normal phase of the approach due to this distraction. This caused a very high workload for a fatigued 2 pilot crew. A stabilized approach was finalized at no less than 500 ft AGL, and no GPWS warnings were sounded, however, this is lower than a normal stabilized approach is normally established. Human performance considerations: the crew had departed miami at XC00 that day, and had encountered numerous delays at the outstations while en route, incurring a high level of fatigue. The times of operation advantageous to cargo operations are not conducive to crew members circadian rhythm 'body clocks,' and their abilities to rest in preparation for these operational hours is compromised. Numerous traffic reports were given on final approach, while the crew was busy attempting to vary approach speeds, configure the aircraft, and stabilize the approach. An additional distraction involved using an arrival runway for departures, that also crosses another runway used for arrs, and expecting crews on approach to provide their own spacing based on visually spotting the inbound and outbound traffic. Large aircraft operated by only 2 pilots are at a disadvantage during high-density airport operations. Mia airport controllers are in the habit of demanding visual approachs from inbound aircraft in order to facilitate high volume traffic at peak times during the periods of normally good WX in the area. This places the added burden of traffic separation on flight crew's who may not be prepared to cope with the added responsibility for judging safe separation during high cockpit workload phases of flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLC RETURNING TO MIA AFTER AN ALL-NIGHTER ARE CONCERNED WITH ARPT ARR AND DEP HIGH TFC VOLUME CONDITIONS WHILE HIGHLY FATIGUED.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM A 3-LEG ALL-NIGHTER TRIP FROM 2 CENTRAL AMERICAN CITIES, WE APCHED MIA ARPT AT A TIME OF PEAK TFC OP. THE ARPT WAS OPERATING USING PARALLEL, CONVERGING AND INTERSECTING RWYS, SPECIFICALLY RWY 27L, RWY 27R, AND RWY 30. NUMEROUS SPD CHANGES WERE GIVEN TO US TO FACILITATE THIS SANDWICHING OF ACFT ARRS AND DEPS ON XING RWYS. A SPD ABOVE FINAL FLAP EXTENSION SPD WAS MAINTAINED INITIALLY, DELAYING FINAL FLAP EXTENSION UNTIL LATER IN THE APCH. AFTER EXTENSIVE VECTORING, THE ACFT WAS FINALLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L. TA'S WERE GIVEN FOR B757 ACFT ON APCH TO XING RWY 30 ('RPT IN SIGHT'), AND A B727 ACFT WAS PUT INTO POS FOR TKOF, HOLDING UNTIL THE B757 LANDED, AND WE WERE ADVISED 'HE WOULD DEPART PRIOR TO ARR.' WE WERE BELOW 2000 FT AGL ON APCH AT THAT TIME. THIS WAS DISTRACTING TO THE CREW, AND LNDG GEAR, FINAL FLAP EXTENSION, AND SUBSEQUENT LNDG CHKLIST WAS DELAYED TO A LOWER THAN NORMAL PHASE OF THE APCH DUE TO THIS DISTR. THIS CAUSED A VERY HIGH WORKLOAD FOR A FATIGUED 2 PLT CREW. A STABILIZED APCH WAS FINALIZED AT NO LESS THAN 500 FT AGL, AND NO GPWS WARNINGS WERE SOUNDED, HOWEVER, THIS IS LOWER THAN A NORMAL STABILIZED APCH IS NORMALLY ESTABLISHED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THE CREW HAD DEPARTED MIAMI AT XC00 THAT DAY, AND HAD ENCOUNTERED NUMEROUS DELAYS AT THE OUTSTATIONS WHILE ENRTE, INCURRING A HIGH LEVEL OF FATIGUE. THE TIMES OF OP ADVANTAGEOUS TO CARGO OPS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE TO CREW MEMBERS CIRCADIAN RHYTHM 'BODY CLOCKS,' AND THEIR ABILITIES TO REST IN PREPARATION FOR THESE OPERATIONAL HRS IS COMPROMISED. NUMEROUS TFC RPTS WERE GIVEN ON FINAL APCH, WHILE THE CREW WAS BUSY ATTEMPTING TO VARY APCH SPDS, CONFIGURE THE ACFT, AND STABILIZE THE APCH. AN ADDITIONAL DISTR INVOLVED USING AN ARR RWY FOR DEPS, THAT ALSO CROSSES ANOTHER RWY USED FOR ARRS, AND EXPECTING CREWS ON APCH TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN SPACING BASED ON VISUALLY SPOTTING THE INBOUND AND OUTBOUND TFC. LARGE ACFT OPERATED BY ONLY 2 PLTS ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE DURING HIGH-DENSITY ARPT OPS. MIA ARPT CTLRS ARE IN THE HABIT OF DEMANDING VISUAL APCHS FROM INBOUND ACFT IN ORDER TO FACILITATE HIGH VOLUME TFC AT PEAK TIMES DURING THE PERIODS OF NORMALLY GOOD WX IN THE AREA. THIS PLACES THE ADDED BURDEN OF TFC SEPARATION ON FLC'S WHO MAY NOT BE PREPARED TO COPE WITH THE ADDED RESPONSIBILITY FOR JUDGING SAFE SEPARATION DURING HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD PHASES OF FLT.

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.