Narrative:

Arriving in geg from the east, planning a visual approach to runway 25. Runway 3/21 closed and no instrument approachs for runway 25. Approach control cleared us to 5500 ft MSL and advised to report field in sight. We were flying directly into the setting sun and had difficulty identing the runway. I was the PF and had aircraft configured to flaps 2 degrees, speed 190 KTS. I continued to slow, anticipating a slam dunk approach. Rising terrain to the east precludes ATC from giving a lower altitude until you are within 6-8 mi from the airport, which would leave you unreasonably high for the approach. Once field was in sight, estimating 7-8 mi from airport, a visual approach clearance was given. I called for the gear, final checks, and flaps 3 degrees, then flaps full in an expeditious manner knowing we were high. At the 'cf' (5 mi out), I noticed we were 500 ft above profile and about 30 KTS fast. Aircraft was quickly capturing profile but not decelerating as I expected. We were following a single engine aircraft, doing pattern work to the runway. With the visibility so bad, the PNF missed the 500 ft callout. I'm not sure at what altitude, somewhere between 500 ft and 200 ft AGL, we got a 'too low terrain' (PAPI indicated 3 whites/3 red) then 'too low flaps' GPWS. PNF selected flaps full and at that point, we felt it was better to continue to land than to go around at low altitude into the sun and towards the single engine aircraft in front of us that did a touch and go. Touchdown was on speed/profile and uneventful. Flaps not in landing confign, and possibly being fast at 500 ft exceeded 'ft per min' stabilized approach criteria. In retrospect, a go around should have been executed earlier in the approach. Factors I believe contributed: 1) ATC keeping very high due to terrain, yet vectoring you directly to airport. 2) the sun. We were flying directly into a low sun inhibiting our ability to see the airport. 3) cockpit lighting. When flying into the sun , the display units and MCP are next to impossible to see. I believe this is a very real safety concern with the airbus. 4) no instrument approach to runway 25. Used 'V-deviation' and PAPI as backups. Supplemental information from acn 629907: first officer called for flaps full and I checked the speed and thought I moved the flap handle to full. Our attention was being focused on the runway environment and preceding small aircraft ahead in the haze and setting sun. That allowed me to miss the 500 ft call at 500 ft. Then we got a 'too low, terrain' call, which at the moment seemed confusing since we were just slightly high on the VASI. That call was then followed by a 'too low, flaps' call. I looked at the flap handle and noticed it in the 3 degree position. I immediately selected flaps full and verified the confign. At that point we had not crossed the threshold. We briefly discussed the need to go around, but realized we were now properly configured in a normal position for landing, and felt comfortable with the control of the aircraft. So I elected to continue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW HAD THE EGPWS 'TOO LOW TERRAIN' AND 'TOO LOW FLAPS' WHEN GOING INTO GEG RWY 25.

Narrative: ARRIVING IN GEG FROM THE E, PLANNING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25. RWY 3/21 CLOSED AND NO INST APCHS FOR RWY 25. APCH CTL CLRED US TO 5500 FT MSL AND ADVISED TO RPT FIELD IN SIGHT. WE WERE FLYING DIRECTLY INTO THE SETTING SUN AND HAD DIFFICULTY IDENTING THE RWY. I WAS THE PF AND HAD ACFT CONFIGURED TO FLAPS 2 DEGS, SPD 190 KTS. I CONTINUED TO SLOW, ANTICIPATING A SLAM DUNK APCH. RISING TERRAIN TO THE E PRECLUDES ATC FROM GIVING A LOWER ALT UNTIL YOU ARE WITHIN 6-8 MI FROM THE ARPT, WHICH WOULD LEAVE YOU UNREASONABLY HIGH FOR THE APCH. ONCE FIELD WAS IN SIGHT, ESTIMATING 7-8 MI FROM ARPT, A VISUAL APCH CLRNC WAS GIVEN. I CALLED FOR THE GEAR, FINAL CHKS, AND FLAPS 3 DEGS, THEN FLAPS FULL IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER KNOWING WE WERE HIGH. AT THE 'CF' (5 MI OUT), I NOTICED WE WERE 500 FT ABOVE PROFILE AND ABOUT 30 KTS FAST. ACFT WAS QUICKLY CAPTURING PROFILE BUT NOT DECELERATING AS I EXPECTED. WE WERE FOLLOWING A SINGLE ENG ACFT, DOING PATTERN WORK TO THE RWY. WITH THE VISIBILITY SO BAD, THE PNF MISSED THE 500 FT CALLOUT. I'M NOT SURE AT WHAT ALT, SOMEWHERE BTWN 500 FT AND 200 FT AGL, WE GOT A 'TOO LOW TERRAIN' (PAPI INDICATED 3 WHITES/3 RED) THEN 'TOO LOW FLAPS' GPWS. PNF SELECTED FLAPS FULL AND AT THAT POINT, WE FELT IT WAS BETTER TO CONTINUE TO LAND THAN TO GO AROUND AT LOW ALT INTO THE SUN AND TOWARDS THE SINGLE ENG ACFT IN FRONT OF US THAT DID A TOUCH AND GO. TOUCHDOWN WAS ON SPD/PROFILE AND UNEVENTFUL. FLAPS NOT IN LNDG CONFIGN, AND POSSIBLY BEING FAST AT 500 FT EXCEEDED 'FT PER MIN' STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA. IN RETROSPECT, A GAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED EARLIER IN THE APCH. FACTORS I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED: 1) ATC KEEPING VERY HIGH DUE TO TERRAIN, YET VECTORING YOU DIRECTLY TO ARPT. 2) THE SUN. WE WERE FLYING DIRECTLY INTO A LOW SUN INHIBITING OUR ABILITY TO SEE THE ARPT. 3) COCKPIT LIGHTING. WHEN FLYING INTO THE SUN , THE DISPLAY UNITS AND MCP ARE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY REAL SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE AIRBUS. 4) NO INST APCH TO RWY 25. USED 'V-DEV' AND PAPI AS BACKUPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 629907: FO CALLED FOR FLAPS FULL AND I CHKED THE SPD AND THOUGHT I MOVED THE FLAP HANDLE TO FULL. OUR ATTN WAS BEING FOCUSED ON THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND PRECEDING SMALL ACFT AHEAD IN THE HAZE AND SETTING SUN. THAT ALLOWED ME TO MISS THE 500 FT CALL AT 500 FT. THEN WE GOT A 'TOO LOW, TERRAIN' CALL, WHICH AT THE MOMENT SEEMED CONFUSING SINCE WE WERE JUST SLIGHTLY HIGH ON THE VASI. THAT CALL WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY A 'TOO LOW, FLAPS' CALL. I LOOKED AT THE FLAP HANDLE AND NOTICED IT IN THE 3 DEG POS. I IMMEDIATELY SELECTED FLAPS FULL AND VERIFIED THE CONFIGN. AT THAT POINT WE HAD NOT CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THE NEED TO GO AROUND, BUT REALIZED WE WERE NOW PROPERLY CONFIGURED IN A NORMAL POS FOR LNDG, AND FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE CTL OF THE ACFT. SO I ELECTED TO CONTINUE.

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.