Narrative:

New captain on IOE in left seat. First leg on B747-400. Line check airman (lca) in right seat. I was in r-hand observer's seat. While on radar vectors to land on runway 7L at hkg, we were cleared to 1500 ft while on right base to runway 7L. Lca set 1300 ft by mistake and we descended to 1300 ft. I noticed error and announced at the same time approach instructed us to climb to 1500 ft, we were given turn to 45 degrees. No clearance to intercept localizer. As we passed through localizer, lca asked for clarification. We were cleared for approach, and captain armed the localizer feature. Aircraft turned hard right on about a 110 degree heading and aircraft passed well through localizer. Autoplt C was engaged. Airplane started to turn left back to localizer. WX was 7 NM visibility. We saw runway 7L well to our left and in no position to land. Approach told us to climb to 6000 ft. Captain selected flch 6000 ft and the aircraft started to climb at about 200 FPM. I could now see hills above us immediately to our right and very close. We were well south of the runways 7L and 7R ctrlines now. I called 3 times louder for toga. Approach called to expedite climb to 6000 ft and maintain 070 degree heading. We were on 080 degree heading as toga was engaged and heading held at 080 degrees. 2ND relief pilot called out heading deviation, but was ignored by both up front pilots. Aircraft did start to climb and we climbed over the hills that were sighted as we reentered the cloud base. Flaps 1 degree were selected and I noticed that we were 13 KTS below the flap 1 degree speed (23 KTS below flap 1 degree manual speed). I called out the low airspeed and the lca pushed the throttles forward and asked if the captain wanted flaps 5 degrees to which he said yes. Rest of climb out and next approach to landing were uneventful. We landed with 19600 pounds of fuel. This was a case of the captain never having been to hkg, and although lca did indicate that he had been there before, he seemed very unfamiliar with the airport and operation. It was a very typical case of overload of new captain (first leg on B747) and an error stream that built and built. We did avoid the hills just south of the airport, but there were numerous ATC deviations, less than safe terrain separation in 2 cases, and CRM was working but very slowly. It was also apparent that the lca was either not aware of the danger, or was waiting for the captain to make the assessment and corrective action. It took numerous prompts from the relief pilots to get the aircraft on the proper flight path. We were on duty for 17+ hours, it was night, and WX was marginal VFR to IFR. I was greatly concerned as to the flight path of the aircraft. We were advised to call the hkg tower upon arrival at operations. Supplemental information from acn 605245: during briefing seems neither captain had been to hkg or on a polar route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 IOE CAPT AND LINE CHK AIRMAN DEMONSTRATE MARGINAL PROFICIENCY ON VECTORED APCH TO VHHH RESULTING IN UNINTENTIONAL FLT TOWARD TERRAIN.

Narrative: NEW CAPT ON IOE IN L SEAT. FIRST LEG ON B747-400. LINE CHK AIRMAN (LCA) IN R SEAT. I WAS IN R-HAND OBSERVER'S SEAT. WHILE ON RADAR VECTORS TO LAND ON RWY 7L AT HKG, WE WERE CLRED TO 1500 FT WHILE ON R BASE TO RWY 7L. LCA SET 1300 FT BY MISTAKE AND WE DSNDED TO 1300 FT. I NOTICED ERROR AND ANNOUNCED AT THE SAME TIME APCH INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO 1500 FT, WE WERE GIVEN TURN TO 45 DEGS. NO CLRNC TO INTERCEPT LOC. AS WE PASSED THROUGH LOC, LCA ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH, AND CAPT ARMED THE LOC FEATURE. ACFT TURNED HARD R ON ABOUT A 110 DEG HDG AND ACFT PASSED WELL THROUGH LOC. AUTOPLT C WAS ENGAGED. AIRPLANE STARTED TO TURN L BACK TO LOC. WX WAS 7 NM VISIBILITY. WE SAW RWY 7L WELL TO OUR L AND IN NO POS TO LAND. APCH TOLD US TO CLB TO 6000 FT. CAPT SELECTED FLCH 6000 FT AND THE ACFT STARTED TO CLB AT ABOUT 200 FPM. I COULD NOW SEE HILLS ABOVE US IMMEDIATELY TO OUR R AND VERY CLOSE. WE WERE WELL S OF THE RWYS 7L AND 7R CTRLINES NOW. I CALLED 3 TIMES LOUDER FOR TOGA. APCH CALLED TO EXPEDITE CLB TO 6000 FT AND MAINTAIN 070 DEG HDG. WE WERE ON 080 DEG HDG AS TOGA WAS ENGAGED AND HDG HELD AT 080 DEGS. 2ND RELIEF PLT CALLED OUT HDG DEV, BUT WAS IGNORED BY BOTH UP FRONT PLTS. ACFT DID START TO CLB AND WE CLBED OVER THE HILLS THAT WERE SIGHTED AS WE REENTERED THE CLOUD BASE. FLAPS 1 DEG WERE SELECTED AND I NOTICED THAT WE WERE 13 KTS BELOW THE FLAP 1 DEG SPD (23 KTS BELOW FLAP 1 DEG MANUAL SPD). I CALLED OUT THE LOW AIRSPD AND THE LCA PUSHED THE THROTTLES FORWARD AND ASKED IF THE CAPT WANTED FLAPS 5 DEGS TO WHICH HE SAID YES. REST OF CLBOUT AND NEXT APCH TO LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WE LANDED WITH 19600 LBS OF FUEL. THIS WAS A CASE OF THE CAPT NEVER HAVING BEEN TO HKG, AND ALTHOUGH LCA DID INDICATE THAT HE HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE, HE SEEMED VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND OP. IT WAS A VERY TYPICAL CASE OF OVERLOAD OF NEW CAPT (FIRST LEG ON B747) AND AN ERROR STREAM THAT BUILT AND BUILT. WE DID AVOID THE HILLS JUST S OF THE ARPT, BUT THERE WERE NUMEROUS ATC DEVS, LESS THAN SAFE TERRAIN SEPARATION IN 2 CASES, AND CRM WAS WORKING BUT VERY SLOWLY. IT WAS ALSO APPARENT THAT THE LCA WAS EITHER NOT AWARE OF THE DANGER, OR WAS WAITING FOR THE CAPT TO MAKE THE ASSESSMENT AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. IT TOOK NUMEROUS PROMPTS FROM THE RELIEF PLTS TO GET THE ACFT ON THE PROPER FLT PATH. WE WERE ON DUTY FOR 17+ HRS, IT WAS NIGHT, AND WX WAS MARGINAL VFR TO IFR. I WAS GREATLY CONCERNED AS TO THE FLT PATH OF THE ACFT. WE WERE ADVISED TO CALL THE HKG TWR UPON ARR AT OPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605245: DURING BRIEFING SEEMS NEITHER CAPT HAD BEEN TO HKG OR ON A POLAR RTE.

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.