Narrative:

This was first day of 3-DAY eddm trip. Normal flight from preflight to en route to descent into eddm. Captain was PNF; #1 first officer was PF; #2 first officer was relief pilot for approach and landing in eddm. PF returned to cockpit after approximately 2 hour rest break as initial descent began. Normal descent procedures and vectoring for about 15 mins; then approach control cleared flight from present position on betos 8 arrival to DM441; a point on extended final to runway 8R. Descending through 6000 ft; drag was suggested by PNF; speed 250 KTS. At 5000 ft on extended final; GS was intercepted along with localizer; and aircraft continued fast getting high while trying to descend. PNF again suggested drag but PF continued on descent maintaining GS but actually picking up speed. PNF then advocated gear down. Gear lowered but still no speed brakes. Aircraft decelerated slowly; flaps were lowered to 1 degree; then 5 degrees at about the same time as FAF passage. Final descent checklist completed. Tower cleared us to land; but speed was not decreasing below about 210 KTS; and further flaps were called for but not selected due to speed. At this point stabilized approach criteria were already exceeded. PNF made 1000 ft call; PF responded; aircraft continued on GS but not slowing. PNF made 500 ft call and first called for go around immediately after call. Relief pilot immediately reinforced call. Initially PF did not respond; or did so hesitantly. I believe PNF repeated go around and relief pilot yelled 'pull up' just as PNF took control; adding thrust and aggressively pulling up. 200 ft terrain warning sounded during maneuver due to aircraft not in landing confign. Aircraft climbed out on charted missed approach procedure; was cleared for another approach; and a normal CAT 1 ILS approach and landing was completed by original PF; this time with autoplt on until disconnect over approach lights with runway in sight. After taxi in; all 3 crew members briefly discussed situation and agreed lack of stabilized approach criteria was recognized early by PNF and relief; but go around was not commanded until far too late. That was the fact; and SOP was clearly violated. The human factor reasons for such delay could be tallied under several headings: a belief that a fellow pilot would correct the situation; a reluctance to command action since recommendations are normally adequate; a false sense that the PF recognizes the deteriorating situation and is primed to go around; and a strong reluctance to physically take control away from the PF.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON AN UNSTABLE APCH WITH EXCESSIVE SPD AND NOT CONFIGURED FOR LNDG; B777-200 FLT CREW FAIL TO COMMAND GAR UNTIL LATE IN APCH.

Narrative: THIS WAS FIRST DAY OF 3-DAY EDDM TRIP. NORMAL FLT FROM PREFLT TO ENRTE TO DSCNT INTO EDDM. CAPT WAS PNF; #1 FO WAS PF; #2 FO WAS RELIEF PLT FOR APCH AND LNDG IN EDDM. PF RETURNED TO COCKPIT AFTER APPROX 2 HR REST BREAK AS INITIAL DSCNT BEGAN. NORMAL DSCNT PROCS AND VECTORING FOR ABOUT 15 MINS; THEN APCH CTL CLRED FLT FROM PRESENT POS ON BETOS 8 ARR TO DM441; A POINT ON EXTENDED FINAL TO RWY 8R. DSNDING THROUGH 6000 FT; DRAG WAS SUGGESTED BY PNF; SPD 250 KTS. AT 5000 FT ON EXTENDED FINAL; GS WAS INTERCEPTED ALONG WITH LOC; AND ACFT CONTINUED FAST GETTING HIGH WHILE TRYING TO DSND. PNF AGAIN SUGGESTED DRAG BUT PF CONTINUED ON DSCNT MAINTAINING GS BUT ACTUALLY PICKING UP SPD. PNF THEN ADVOCATED GEAR DOWN. GEAR LOWERED BUT STILL NO SPD BRAKES. ACFT DECELERATED SLOWLY; FLAPS WERE LOWERED TO 1 DEG; THEN 5 DEGS AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS FAF PASSAGE. FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST COMPLETED. TWR CLRED US TO LAND; BUT SPD WAS NOT DECREASING BELOW ABOUT 210 KTS; AND FURTHER FLAPS WERE CALLED FOR BUT NOT SELECTED DUE TO SPD. AT THIS POINT STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA WERE ALREADY EXCEEDED. PNF MADE 1000 FT CALL; PF RESPONDED; ACFT CONTINUED ON GS BUT NOT SLOWING. PNF MADE 500 FT CALL AND FIRST CALLED FOR GAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER CALL. RELIEF PLT IMMEDIATELY REINFORCED CALL. INITIALLY PF DID NOT RESPOND; OR DID SO HESITANTLY. I BELIEVE PNF REPEATED GAR AND RELIEF PLT YELLED 'PULL UP' JUST AS PNF TOOK CTL; ADDING THRUST AND AGGRESSIVELY PULLING UP. 200 FT TERRAIN WARNING SOUNDED DURING MANEUVER DUE TO ACFT NOT IN LNDG CONFIGN. ACFT CLBED OUT ON CHARTED MISSED APCH PROC; WAS CLRED FOR ANOTHER APCH; AND A NORMAL CAT 1 ILS APCH AND LNDG WAS COMPLETED BY ORIGINAL PF; THIS TIME WITH AUTOPLT ON UNTIL DISCONNECT OVER APCH LIGHTS WITH RWY IN SIGHT. AFTER TAXI IN; ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS BRIEFLY DISCUSSED SITUATION AND AGREED LACK OF STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA WAS RECOGNIZED EARLY BY PNF AND RELIEF; BUT GAR WAS NOT COMMANDED UNTIL FAR TOO LATE. THAT WAS THE FACT; AND SOP WAS CLRLY VIOLATED. THE HUMAN FACTOR REASONS FOR SUCH DELAY COULD BE TALLIED UNDER SEVERAL HDGS: A BELIEF THAT A FELLOW PLT WOULD CORRECT THE SIT; A RELUCTANCE TO COMMAND ACTION SINCE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NORMALLY ADEQUATE; A FALSE SENSE THAT THE PF RECOGNIZES THE DETERIORATING SITUATION AND IS PRIMED TO GO AROUND; AND A STRONG RELUCTANCE TO PHYSICALLY TAKE CTL AWAY FROM THE PF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.