Narrative:

This was the second leg back after a morning turn to on a reserve callout. I flew the first leg to ZZZ1 and my first officer flew the second leg back to ZZZ. We were both pretty tired after being up since about XA00. The WX in ZZZ was clear and the winds were about 240 degrees at 20 KTS. The first officer joined the localizer and GS using the autoplt and disconnected it somewhere around 1500 ft AGL and continued using the flight director and autothrottles. We both noticed that it was somewhat turbulent during the approach and the airspeed was fluctuating but it was not bad. At 1000 ft the aircraft was stable and on-speed and at 500 ft it was about +2 and sinking 700. Around 150-200 ft I noticed the first officer shallowed his descent and was starting to go above GS. Just as I was about to say something he then increased his descent to regain the GS. At just below about 100 ft his descent rate was approaching 1000 FPM and increasing at which time I said 'hey watch your descent rate!' at that point I could see this was going to result in a very hard landing. I took control of the aircraft and quickly attempted to flare the aircraft when the main gear touched down and aircraft bounced. About the time the mains touched I was applying go around power and I accomplished a go around. The nosewheel never touched the runway. The touchdown was quite firm but I don't believe excessive. I was very concerned about a tail strike; however. I maintained control of the aircraft and completed a right traffic pattern for another visual approach. I landed the aircraft and taxied in. After shutting down and leaving the aircraft; I spoke with maintenance about what had just happened. He had completed his walkaround and I asked about the tail skid and he said it was fine. I told him about the landing and he said that based on what I told him that it would not be necessary to write up a hard landing and I agreed. I think there were several factors contributing to this incident: 1) we were both very tired. 2) the first officer is a new hire in his first yr with limited experience in the aircraft. 3) the PF shallowed his descent rate resulting in the aircraft going above the GS in the final stage of the approach and overcorrected very close to the ground. In hindsight I should have intervened sooner. The event happened very quickly and very close to the ground. Had I reacted by taking control of the airplane seconds earlier rather than verbally calling out an excessive descent rate; this may have had more favorable results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW HAS AN UNSTABILIZED APCH AND HARD LNDG AT SDF; EXECUTES A GAR AND LANDS.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG BACK AFTER A MORNING TURN TO ON A RESERVE CALLOUT. I FLEW THE FIRST LEG TO ZZZ1 AND MY FO FLEW THE SECOND LEG BACK TO ZZZ. WE WERE BOTH PRETTY TIRED AFTER BEING UP SINCE ABOUT XA00. THE WX IN ZZZ WAS CLR AND THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 240 DEGS AT 20 KTS. THE FO JOINED THE LOC AND GS USING THE AUTOPLT AND DISCONNECTED IT SOMEWHERE AROUND 1500 FT AGL AND CONTINUED USING THE FLT DIRECTOR AND AUTOTHROTTLES. WE BOTH NOTICED THAT IT WAS SOMEWHAT TURBULENT DURING THE APCH AND THE AIRSPD WAS FLUCTUATING BUT IT WAS NOT BAD. AT 1000 FT THE ACFT WAS STABLE AND ON-SPD AND AT 500 FT IT WAS ABOUT +2 AND SINKING 700. AROUND 150-200 FT I NOTICED THE FO SHALLOWED HIS DSCNT AND WAS STARTING TO GO ABOVE GS. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING HE THEN INCREASED HIS DSCNT TO REGAIN THE GS. AT JUST BELOW ABOUT 100 FT HIS DSCNT RATE WAS APCHING 1000 FPM AND INCREASING AT WHICH TIME I SAID 'HEY WATCH YOUR DSCNT RATE!' AT THAT POINT I COULD SEE THIS WAS GOING TO RESULT IN A VERY HARD LNDG. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND QUICKLY ATTEMPTED TO FLARE THE ACFT WHEN THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN AND ACFT BOUNCED. ABOUT THE TIME THE MAINS TOUCHED I WAS APPLYING GAR PWR AND I ACCOMPLISHED A GAR. THE NOSEWHEEL NEVER TOUCHED THE RWY. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS QUITE FIRM BUT I DON'T BELIEVE EXCESSIVE. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A TAIL STRIKE; HOWEVER. I MAINTAINED CTL OF THE ACFT AND COMPLETED A R TFC PATTERN FOR ANOTHER VISUAL APCH. I LANDED THE ACFT AND TAXIED IN. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND LEAVING THE ACFT; I SPOKE WITH MAINT ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. HE HAD COMPLETED HIS WALKAROUND AND I ASKED ABOUT THE TAIL SKID AND HE SAID IT WAS FINE. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE LNDG AND HE SAID THAT BASED ON WHAT I TOLD HIM THAT IT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY TO WRITE UP A HARD LNDG AND I AGREED. I THINK THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT: 1) WE WERE BOTH VERY TIRED. 2) THE FO IS A NEW HIRE IN HIS FIRST YR WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT. 3) THE PF SHALLOWED HIS DSCNT RATE RESULTING IN THE ACFT GOING ABOVE THE GS IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE APCH AND OVERCORRECTED VERY CLOSE TO THE GND. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE INTERVENED SOONER. THE EVENT HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND VERY CLOSE TO THE GND. HAD I REACTED BY TAKING CTL OF THE AIRPLANE SECONDS EARLIER RATHER THAN VERBALLY CALLING OUT AN EXCESSIVE DSCNT RATE; THIS MAY HAVE HAD MORE FAVORABLE RESULTS.

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.