Narrative:

With a training event coming up, I was trying to do more hand flying in the terminal area to sharpen up. As we turned downwind off the STAR, I almost decided to leave the autoplt on, but wanted to practice even though I could tell it was going to be a real slam dunk approach. Approach cleared us from 6000 ft to 2000 ft about midfield with a 40 KT tailwind and indicated airspace of 210 KIAS assigned. The base turn they initially gave us would have us pointed right at the OM. Approach realized this a moment later and reassigned us a 250 degree heading versus the previous 270 degrees. In an effort to descend faster, I had requested flaps 18 degrees, it was kind of bumpy and descending in level change (indicated airspeed) as our company prescribes can cause airspeed deviations and the flaps 18 degrees maximum speed is 215 KTS, pretty close to the 210 KTS assigned. Instead of requesting 200 KTS or 205 KTS for more margin on the airspeed, I tried to adjust myself which led to attitude deviations away from the flight director. I was doing many, many things I would normally not do, all in an effort to practice. Not a good idea. The combination of the high descent rate, the bumps, the right turn interrupted to a left turn, and not keeping myself dead on the flight director led to some spatial disorientation. I turned on the autoplt and autothrottles after we had missed our turn to intercept and possibly created a problem with traffic on the parallel. ATC didn't mention any problems, just asked if we were alright. We were vectored around and landed. I give some of this problem to ATC for asking so much of us sometimes (frequently, really) but we still have the right to refuse. And I only compounded it by going against all my gut instincts and ignoring what I knew to be about to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BA-46 CAPT WAS NOT COMFORTABLE HAND FLYING THE ACFT AT NIGHT, IN TURBULENT IMC WITH CHALLENGING APCH CTLR HANDLING.

Narrative: WITH A TRAINING EVENT COMING UP, I WAS TRYING TO DO MORE HAND FLYING IN THE TERMINAL AREA TO SHARPEN UP. AS WE TURNED DOWNWIND OFF THE STAR, I ALMOST DECIDED TO LEAVE THE AUTOPLT ON, BUT WANTED TO PRACTICE EVEN THOUGH I COULD TELL IT WAS GOING TO BE A REAL SLAM DUNK APCH. APCH CLRED US FROM 6000 FT TO 2000 FT ABOUT MIDFIELD WITH A 40 KT TAILWIND AND INDICATED AIRSPACE OF 210 KIAS ASSIGNED. THE BASE TURN THEY INITIALLY GAVE US WOULD HAVE US POINTED RIGHT AT THE OM. APCH REALIZED THIS A MOMENT LATER AND REASSIGNED US A 250 DEG HDG VERSUS THE PREVIOUS 270 DEGS. IN AN EFFORT TO DSND FASTER, I HAD REQUESTED FLAPS 18 DEGS, IT WAS KIND OF BUMPY AND DSNDING IN LEVEL CHANGE (INDICATED AIRSPD) AS OUR COMPANY PRESCRIBES CAN CAUSE AIRSPD DEVS AND THE FLAPS 18 DEGS MAX SPD IS 215 KTS, PRETTY CLOSE TO THE 210 KTS ASSIGNED. INSTEAD OF REQUESTING 200 KTS OR 205 KTS FOR MORE MARGIN ON THE AIRSPD, I TRIED TO ADJUST MYSELF WHICH LED TO ATTITUDE DEVS AWAY FROM THE FLT DIRECTOR. I WAS DOING MANY, MANY THINGS I WOULD NORMALLY NOT DO, ALL IN AN EFFORT TO PRACTICE. NOT A GOOD IDEA. THE COMBINATION OF THE HIGH DSCNT RATE, THE BUMPS, THE R TURN INTERRUPTED TO A L TURN, AND NOT KEEPING MYSELF DEAD ON THE FLT DIRECTOR LED TO SOME SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. I TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES AFTER WE HAD MISSED OUR TURN TO INTERCEPT AND POSSIBLY CREATED A PROB WITH TFC ON THE PARALLEL. ATC DIDN'T MENTION ANY PROBS, JUST ASKED IF WE WERE ALRIGHT. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND AND LANDED. I GIVE SOME OF THIS PROB TO ATC FOR ASKING SO MUCH OF US SOMETIMES (FREQUENTLY, REALLY) BUT WE STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE. AND I ONLY COMPOUNDED IT BY GOING AGAINST ALL MY GUT INSTINCTS AND IGNORING WHAT I KNEW TO BE ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

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.