An A320 flight crew mismanages the autothrottles resulting in an unstabilized approach.

Attributes
ACN	596277
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 22r
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	596277
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On approach into ord for runway 22R, speed was at our discretion. We were approximately 250 KIAS about 4.5 mi from FAF for ILS runway 22R and descending out of 3000 ft. WX was VFR and approach was visual. Captain disconnected autoplt and called for gear down final descent checklist and deployed full speed brakes. Aircraft started to slow, captain selected managed speed and disconnected autothrottles with disconnect switch, but failed to bring throttles to idle. This in turn made aircraft go to climb power. Upon acceleration, we tended to get high and fast crossing FAF until he finally got throttles to idle. Speed was above 200 KIAS and by this point aircraft was hard to get down and slow down. Despite verbal crew member concern that fom as well as stable approach parameters could possibly be exceeded, the captain felt approach could be conducted safely and elected to continue. Although there were some GPWS alerts, airplane was stable to land and did so smoothly in the touchdown zone and came to a stop less than 6000 ft down the runway. However, most likely stabilized approach criteria were infringed upon. At no time was airplane in danger of harming person or property. Contributing factors were too fast and big mistake with autothrottle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW MISMANAGES THE AUTOTHROTTLES RESULTING IN AN UNSTABILIZED APCH.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO ORD FOR RWY 22R, SPD WAS AT OUR DISCRETION. WE WERE APPROX 250 KIAS ABOUT 4.5 MI FROM FAF FOR ILS RWY 22R AND DSNDING OUT OF 3000 FT. WX WAS VFR AND APCH WAS VISUAL. CAPT DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST AND DEPLOYED FULL SPD BRAKES. ACFT STARTED TO SLOW, CAPT SELECTED MANAGED SPD AND DISCONNECTED AUTOTHROTTLES WITH DISCONNECT SWITCH, BUT FAILED TO BRING THROTTLES TO IDLE. THIS IN TURN MADE ACFT GO TO CLB PWR. UPON ACCELERATION, WE TENDED TO GET HIGH AND FAST XING FAF UNTIL HE FINALLY GOT THROTTLES TO IDLE. SPD WAS ABOVE 200 KIAS AND BY THIS POINT ACFT WAS HARD TO GET DOWN AND SLOW DOWN. DESPITE VERBAL CREW MEMBER CONCERN THAT FOM AS WELL AS STABLE APCH PARAMETERS COULD POSSIBLY BE EXCEEDED, THE CAPT FELT APCH COULD BE CONDUCTED SAFELY AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME GPWS ALERTS, AIRPLANE WAS STABLE TO LAND AND DID SO SMOOTHLY IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND CAME TO A STOP LESS THAN 6000 FT DOWN THE RWY. HOWEVER, MOST LIKELY STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA WERE INFRINGED UPON. AT NO TIME WAS AIRPLANE IN DANGER OF HARMING PERSON OR PROPERTY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE TOO FAST AND BIG MISTAKE WITH AUTOTHROTTLE.

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.