Narrative:

During approach vector to localizer while autoplt coupled with approach selected; aircraft pitched up to capture GS. Airspeed quickly slowed to below maneuver speed for confign. First officer flying disconnected autoplt and recovered. Flaps were extended to speed return to correct confign. Approach continued manually to VFR landing. Digital ATIS reported 'ILS runway 23 GS unusable beyond 5 degrees right of course;' however; approach vectored us on right downwind; vectored to intercept heading and cleared us for approach. Everything appeared normal on the instruments with identify check. Situation was intermittent snow clouds with runway in sight on downwind. Clouds on final caused us to continue instrument approach rather than declare visual. Conditions were relaxed with the expectation of a visual landing to a groomed runway. I was looking left at the ground to determine street conditions with bank of about 10-15 degrees right and did not feel the pitch up or slow down. When I returned attention to instruments; first officer was already making corrective actions. Speed was about 181 KTS in clean confign. First officer followed stall recovery procedures and aircraft was quickly returned to normal flight. I should have given more thought to the ATIS information. A manually flown approach would have been appropriate under the conditions. My attention should have been directed to the ILS capture with ground conditions determined earlier during downwind. I was startled with the rapid deterioration from normal airspeed. This type of ATIS information could have been included in the WX package but was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 AUTOPLT PITCHED UP TO CAPTURE THE GS CAUSING THE FO TO EXECUTE STALL RECOVERY PROCS BECAUSE OF THE RAPID AIRSPD LOSS.

Narrative: DURING APCH VECTOR TO LOC WHILE AUTOPLT COUPLED WITH APCH SELECTED; ACFT PITCHED UP TO CAPTURE GS. AIRSPD QUICKLY SLOWED TO BELOW MANEUVER SPD FOR CONFIGN. FO FLYING DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND RECOVERED. FLAPS WERE EXTENDED TO SPD RETURN TO CORRECT CONFIGN. APCH CONTINUED MANUALLY TO VFR LNDG. DIGITAL ATIS RPTED 'ILS RWY 23 GS UNUSABLE BEYOND 5 DEGS R OF COURSE;' HOWEVER; APCH VECTORED US ON R DOWNWIND; VECTORED TO INTERCEPT HDG AND CLRED US FOR APCH. EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL ON THE INSTS WITH IDENT CHK. SITUATION WAS INTERMITTENT SNOW CLOUDS WITH RWY IN SIGHT ON DOWNWIND. CLOUDS ON FINAL CAUSED US TO CONTINUE INST APCH RATHER THAN DECLARE VISUAL. CONDITIONS WERE RELAXED WITH THE EXPECTATION OF A VISUAL LNDG TO A GROOMED RWY. I WAS LOOKING L AT THE GND TO DETERMINE STREET CONDITIONS WITH BANK OF ABOUT 10-15 DEGS R AND DID NOT FEEL THE PITCH UP OR SLOW DOWN. WHEN I RETURNED ATTN TO INSTS; FO WAS ALREADY MAKING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. SPD WAS ABOUT 181 KTS IN CLEAN CONFIGN. FO FOLLOWED STALL RECOVERY PROCS AND ACFT WAS QUICKLY RETURNED TO NORMAL FLT. I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MORE THOUGHT TO THE ATIS INFO. A MANUALLY FLOWN APCH WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE UNDER THE CONDITIONS. MY ATTN SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO THE ILS CAPTURE WITH GND CONDITIONS DETERMINED EARLIER DURING DOWNWIND. I WAS STARTLED WITH THE RAPID DETERIORATION FROM NORMAL AIRSPD. THIS TYPE OF ATIS INFO COULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE WX PACKAGE BUT WAS NOT.

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.