Narrative:

I was the PNF. We were descending into ont of which ATC was keeping us high. We were given a vector to approximately a 12 mi final and we were eventually cleared for a visual approach to runway 26L. We had gear slats/flaps 11 degrees. Trying to slow down and go down but we had a strong tailwind from the east not allowing the PF to do both as quickly as he would have liked. We were probably 245 KTS at 8 mi at about 4000 ft MSL, a little high on GS. We slowed to flap 15 degree speed and extended our flaps to 15 degrees and requested s-turns from tower of which they approved. The captain was assertive with his s-turns that were accompanied but light turbulence so that may have been uncomfortable to the passenger and flight attendants. We performed probably 6 s-turns, of which one, due to the turbulence, made the ground proximity system say, 'terrain' twice. The captain leveled the wings and corrected it. We finally got to our flaps 28 degree speed completed the landing checklist. This was done at about 2500 ft MSL or about 1200 ft AGL. At 500 ft AGL we were stable on our descent rate and speed but on the upper limit and the throttles were spooled. We landed and due to many taxiway closures we eventually got to our gate. The gate agent informed the captain, the a flight attendant wanted to speak to the captain and the gate agent. It took some time for ground power and due to this we completed our shutdown checklist when probably 1/2 of the people had deplaned. The captain then told me he apologized for such an ugly approach. At no time did I feel the situation was unsafe but it was a different technique. When everyone deplaned, the a flight attendant told the captain she felt he had put everyone in an unsafe position and was even madder that he did not explain himself to any of the passenger who she said were very afraid as well as her. After some time, 15 mins, the a flight attendant did not want to be 'a' so another flight attendant switched position. Even though I believe there were no regulations broken, I felt it necessary to write this because there was a flight crew member who thought it was unsafe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS ARE UPSET THAT NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN FOR A LESS THAN STANDARD APCH TO ONT, CA, THAT WAS NOT STABILIZED UNTIL LATE IN THE APCH DUE TO CHANGING WX CONDITIONS AND A LATE DSCNT CLRNC FROM ATC.

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF. WE WERE DSNDING INTO ONT OF WHICH ATC WAS KEEPING US HIGH. WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO APPROX A 12 MI FINAL AND WE WERE EVENTUALLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26L. WE HAD GEAR SLATS/FLAPS 11 DEGS. TRYING TO SLOW DOWN AND GO DOWN BUT WE HAD A STRONG TAILWIND FROM THE E NOT ALLOWING THE PF TO DO BOTH AS QUICKLY AS HE WOULD HAVE LIKED. WE WERE PROBABLY 245 KTS AT 8 MI AT ABOUT 4000 FT MSL, A LITTLE HIGH ON GS. WE SLOWED TO FLAP 15 DEG SPD AND EXTENDED OUR FLAPS TO 15 DEGS AND REQUESTED S-TURNS FROM TWR OF WHICH THEY APPROVED. THE CAPT WAS ASSERTIVE WITH HIS S-TURNS THAT WERE ACCOMPANIED BUT LIGHT TURB SO THAT MAY HAVE BEEN UNCOMFORTABLE TO THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. WE PERFORMED PROBABLY 6 S-TURNS, OF WHICH ONE, DUE TO THE TURB, MADE THE GND PROX SYS SAY, 'TERRAIN' TWICE. THE CAPT LEVELED THE WINGS AND CORRECTED IT. WE FINALLY GOT TO OUR FLAPS 28 DEG SPD COMPLETED THE LNDG CHKLIST. THIS WAS DONE AT ABOUT 2500 FT MSL OR ABOUT 1200 FT AGL. AT 500 FT AGL WE WERE STABLE ON OUR DSCNT RATE AND SPD BUT ON THE UPPER LIMIT AND THE THROTTLES WERE SPOOLED. WE LANDED AND DUE TO MANY TXWY CLOSURES WE EVENTUALLY GOT TO OUR GATE. THE GATE AGENT INFORMED THE CAPT, THE A FLT ATTENDANT WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE CAPT AND THE GATE AGENT. IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR GND PWR AND DUE TO THIS WE COMPLETED OUR SHUTDOWN CHKLIST WHEN PROBABLY 1/2 OF THE PEOPLE HAD DEPLANED. THE CAPT THEN TOLD ME HE APOLOGIZED FOR SUCH AN UGLY APCH. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THE SIT WAS UNSAFE BUT IT WAS A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE. WHEN EVERYONE DEPLANED, THE A FLT ATTENDANT TOLD THE CAPT SHE FELT HE HAD PUT EVERYONE IN AN UNSAFE POS AND WAS EVEN MADDER THAT HE DID NOT EXPLAIN HIMSELF TO ANY OF THE PAX WHO SHE SAID WERE VERY AFRAID AS WELL AS HER. AFTER SOME TIME, 15 MINS, THE A FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT WANT TO BE 'A' SO ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT SWITCHED POS. EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE THERE WERE NO REGS BROKEN, I FELT IT NECESSARY TO WRITE THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS A FLT CREW MEMBER WHO THOUGHT IT WAS UNSAFE.

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.