Narrative:

On approach for landing at licz (sigonella ab, italy), we were being radar vectored by catania radar for a visual approach to runway 28L. On descent, we were in and out of the clouds from 8000 ft down to 3000 ft. Their vectored heading did not align us with the runway centerline and when we broke out at 3000 ft, we noticed the runway off to our 11 O'clock position and we were a little high. The PAPI for runway 28L was notamed OTS. A descent down to 2000 ft by catania radar would have helped us to acquire the runway visually earlier and a heading more in line with the runway would also have helped for our descent profile. A steeper than normal glide path was established which resulted in a higher than normal approach speed. The resulting landing/touchdown was approximately 2000 ft down the runway. Due to long and higher approach speed, the aircraft did not stop on the remaining runway length, traversed through the stopway/overrun area with the end result being that the nose gear went off into the grass. The main gear stopped on the stopway/overrun, but due to soft, unstressed asphalt, the gear was partially embedded into the asphalt. Several tires were cut, shredded. Wet runway and automatic-brake system deferred were contributing factors. No injuries or structural damage resulted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that aircraft was B742 with 3 person crew. Stated that same crew had flown similar approach a few days earlier and that they had been vectored to a similar position at 2000 ft MSL, from which position a normal approach and landing had been made. This contributed to their late recognition of the unstabilized condition which resulted from being at that same point 1000 ft higher.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF A B742 FLEW UNSTABILIZED APCH TO AIR BASE IN EUROPE. TOUCHED DOWN LONG AND RAN THE NOSE GEAR OFF THE PAVED SURFACE BEYOND THE OVERRUN.

Narrative: ON APCH FOR LNDG AT LICZ (SIGONELLA AB, ITALY), WE WERE BEING RADAR VECTORED BY CATANIA RADAR FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. ON DSCNT, WE WERE IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS FROM 8000 FT DOWN TO 3000 FT. THEIR VECTORED HDG DID NOT ALIGN US WITH THE RWY CTRLINE AND WHEN WE BROKE OUT AT 3000 FT, WE NOTICED THE RWY OFF TO OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS AND WE WERE A LITTLE HIGH. THE PAPI FOR RWY 28L WAS NOTAMED OTS. A DSCNT DOWN TO 2000 FT BY CATANIA RADAR WOULD HAVE HELPED US TO ACQUIRE THE RWY VISUALLY EARLIER AND A HDG MORE IN LINE WITH THE RWY WOULD ALSO HAVE HELPED FOR OUR DSCNT PROFILE. A STEEPER THAN NORMAL GLIDE PATH WAS ESTABLISHED WHICH RESULTED IN A HIGHER THAN NORMAL APCH SPD. THE RESULTING LNDG/TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROX 2000 FT DOWN THE RWY. DUE TO LONG AND HIGHER APCH SPD, THE ACFT DID NOT STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY LENGTH, TRAVERSED THROUGH THE STOPWAY/OVERRUN AREA WITH THE END RESULT BEING THAT THE NOSE GEAR WENT OFF INTO THE GRASS. THE MAIN GEAR STOPPED ON THE STOPWAY/OVERRUN, BUT DUE TO SOFT, UNSTRESSED ASPHALT, THE GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EMBEDDED INTO THE ASPHALT. SEVERAL TIRES WERE CUT, SHREDDED. WET RWY AND AUTO-BRAKE SYS DEFERRED WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. NO INJURIES OR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE RESULTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT ACFT WAS B742 WITH 3 PERSON CREW. STATED THAT SAME CREW HAD FLOWN SIMILAR APCH A FEW DAYS EARLIER AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN VECTORED TO A SIMILAR POS AT 2000 FT MSL, FROM WHICH POS A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG HAD BEEN MADE. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR LATE RECOGNITION OF THE UNSTABILIZED CONDITION WHICH RESULTED FROM BEING AT THAT SAME POINT 1000 FT HIGHER.

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.