Narrative:

At approximately XA30 local time, ZDV cleared our aircraft 'direct' to the 'rrivr intersection' at eagle county regional airport, and told us to expect 'localizer DME-C' approach to runway 25. At that time, we were descending normally through approximately FL200 using the FMS vertical direct mode in order to arrive at 'rrivr intersection' at 13000 ft. At some point prior to 'rrivr intersection,' ZDV turned us over to eagle tower. As the sic in the right seat for this flight, I contacted them, and tower cleared us to land on runway 25 behind traffic which was on short final and no factor. I advised the PF that he was a bit high but he stated that he was not. In fact, he did not call for flaps or gear until just before intercepting the final course inbound, even though I again stated that he was too high and too fast. But still he made no attempt to slow the aircraft down from 250 KTS until, at 20 NM from the threshold of runway 25, our FMS automatically reverted to 200 KTS with autospd simultaneously reducing the autothrottles to achieve that speed. At 200 KTS and on approximately 9 NM final, the PF finally called for me to select 10 degrees of flaps, followed immediately by a call for 20 degrees and landing gear down while he excitedly exclaimed that we were too high and he would have to s-turn on final to lose altitude. Calling for landing flaps he continued to descend slowly beginning a turn off of the localizer to the left. I began to advise tower of this, and the PF told me not to. At perhaps 1.5 NM left of the localizer track, eagle tower stated that they observed us flying well south of the localizer and 'what are your intentions?' the PF then turned back to the right about 350 degrees and told me to tell them we were s-turning to lose altitude, which I promptly did. The PF then passed through the localizer course again and continued on the 350 degree heading. Eagle tower again called us to tell us that they now observed us well north of the inbound course, and again asked us to state our intentions. I relayed the PF's agitated response that we would soon reverse course to reintercept the inbound course. Soon after that he turned left to intercept the course perhaps 1 mi or so from the threshold. Eagle tower then stated 'you are still cleared to land' in a manner intended to show their displeasure. The PF landed the aircraft without incident and the tower had no further comments about the approach. Taxi and parking were accomplished normally. I believe that this embarrassing incident happened because: 1) the PF had just been hired as the chief pilot of the company. 2) the PF had earlier stated that he had been into eagle airport many times. As the PIC and as the chief pilot, his pride prevented him from acknowledging that he was too high and too fast for this high-altitude airport in spite of the fact that I had warned him several times. 3) this was his first flight with the principal owners of the aircraft on board, so he descended more slowly than the situation warranted giving them the appearance of a smooth flight. I do not believe that his approach was dangerous, but I am sure that it upset the tower personnel and also perhaps some homeowners and tourists. I wish that I could tell you that this pilot reflected on the incident and took some blame for the unprofessional approach, but I can not. Happily, I resigned from his company not long after.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLF4 CREW HAD AN UNSTABILIZED APCH, WHICH REQUIRED REPEATED S-TURNS ACROSS THE LOC TRACK, TO GET DOWN. THE RPTR FO WAS FLYING WITH A NEWLY HIRED CHIEF PLT. THE CHIEF PLT IGNORED THE FO'S CALLOUTS AND ADVISORIES.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME, ZDV CLRED OUR ACFT 'DIRECT' TO THE 'RRIVR INTXN' AT EAGLE COUNTY REGIONAL ARPT, AND TOLD US TO EXPECT 'LOC DME-C' APCH TO RWY 25. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE DSNDING NORMALLY THROUGH APPROX FL200 USING THE FMS VERT DIRECT MODE IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT 'RRIVR INTXN' AT 13000 FT. AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO 'RRIVR INTXN,' ZDV TURNED US OVER TO EAGLE TWR. AS THE SIC IN THE R SEAT FOR THIS FLT, I CONTACTED THEM, AND TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 25 BEHIND TFC WHICH WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND NO FACTOR. I ADVISED THE PF THAT HE WAS A BIT HIGH BUT HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT. IN FACT, HE DID NOT CALL FOR FLAPS OR GEAR UNTIL JUST BEFORE INTERCEPTING THE FINAL COURSE INBOUND, EVEN THOUGH I AGAIN STATED THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST. BUT STILL HE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE ACFT DOWN FROM 250 KTS UNTIL, AT 20 NM FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 25, OUR FMS AUTOMATICALLY REVERTED TO 200 KTS WITH AUTOSPD SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING THE AUTOTHROTTLES TO ACHIEVE THAT SPD. AT 200 KTS AND ON APPROX 9 NM FINAL, THE PF FINALLY CALLED FOR ME TO SELECT 10 DEGS OF FLAPS, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A CALL FOR 20 DEGS AND LNDG GEAR DOWN WHILE HE EXCITEDLY EXCLAIMED THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH AND HE WOULD HAVE TO S-TURN ON FINAL TO LOSE ALT. CALLING FOR LNDG FLAPS HE CONTINUED TO DSND SLOWLY BEGINNING A TURN OFF OF THE LOC TO THE L. I BEGAN TO ADVISE TWR OF THIS, AND THE PF TOLD ME NOT TO. AT PERHAPS 1.5 NM L OF THE LOC TRACK, EAGLE TWR STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED US FLYING WELL S OF THE LOC AND 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?' THE PF THEN TURNED BACK TO THE R ABOUT 350 DEGS AND TOLD ME TO TELL THEM WE WERE S-TURNING TO LOSE ALT, WHICH I PROMPTLY DID. THE PF THEN PASSED THROUGH THE LOC COURSE AGAIN AND CONTINUED ON THE 350 DEG HDG. EAGLE TWR AGAIN CALLED US TO TELL US THAT THEY NOW OBSERVED US WELL N OF THE INBOUND COURSE, AND AGAIN ASKED US TO STATE OUR INTENTIONS. I RELAYED THE PF'S AGITATED RESPONSE THAT WE WOULD SOON REVERSE COURSE TO REINTERCEPT THE INBOUND COURSE. SOON AFTER THAT HE TURNED L TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE PERHAPS 1 MI OR SO FROM THE THRESHOLD. EAGLE TWR THEN STATED 'YOU ARE STILL CLRED TO LAND' IN A MANNER INTENDED TO SHOW THEIR DISPLEASURE. THE PF LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE TWR HAD NO FURTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THE APCH. TAXI AND PARKING WERE ACCOMPLISHED NORMALLY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS EMBARRASSING INCIDENT HAPPENED BECAUSE: 1) THE PF HAD JUST BEEN HIRED AS THE CHIEF PLT OF THE COMPANY. 2) THE PF HAD EARLIER STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN INTO EAGLE ARPT MANY TIMES. AS THE PIC AND AS THE CHIEF PLT, HIS PRIDE PREVENTED HIM FROM ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST FOR THIS HIGH-ALT ARPT IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT I HAD WARNED HIM SEVERAL TIMES. 3) THIS WAS HIS FIRST FLT WITH THE PRINCIPAL OWNERS OF THE ACFT ON BOARD, SO HE DSNDED MORE SLOWLY THAN THE SIT WARRANTED GIVING THEM THE APPEARANCE OF A SMOOTH FLT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HIS APCH WAS DANGEROUS, BUT I AM SURE THAT IT UPSET THE TWR PERSONNEL AND ALSO PERHAPS SOME HOMEOWNERS AND TOURISTS. I WISH THAT I COULD TELL YOU THAT THIS PLT REFLECTED ON THE INCIDENT AND TOOK SOME BLAME FOR THE UNPROFESSIONAL APCH, BUT I CAN NOT. HAPPILY, I RESIGNED FROM HIS COMPANY NOT LONG AFTER.

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.