A flight crew landed following an unstabilized approach. ATC changed runway assignment when aircraft...

Attributes
ACN	765140
Time
Date	200712
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind.airport
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl single value : 3100
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ind.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 146 flight time total : 9065 flight time type : 1836
ASRS Report	765140
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : msaw other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Initially; had the ILS xxl built and briefed into FMS. On vectors to the approach; ATC switched our runway to xxr and the approach would be RNAV (GPS) runway xxr. In switching approachs; missed the fact that the aircraft was not GPS equipped (VNAV only). Re-briefed and set up for the approach. Autoplt on and in navigation capture mode. Aircraft did not capture when centered on the approach path. Used 'heading select' to get back on the approach course and descended at the FAF. Ground contact and runway was in sight within a few hundred ft of descending. While still trying to figure out why aircraft didn't capture; we received a low level alert from tower. Aircraft was in VMC conditions at this time. Corrected altitude; and xferred control of aircraft to captain and continued to uneventful landing by captain. Distraction of switching runways and aircraft not performing as thought contributed to descending low. Also; should have requested a visual approach. Should have requested a different approach and gone missed approach at the 'non-capture' point. Supplemental information from acn 766010: downwind for runway xxl; r-hand traffic; advise change to runway xxr RNAV/GPS; load FMS quick brief; first officer now PF; turn base; configuring. Planning VNAV approach and descent. Over abc at 3100 ft; see airport; aircraft did not capture final course. In descent; late to get before landing checklist done. See runway all the way. Captain takes aircraft above minimums. No leveloff; looking at runway looks low. Tower advise altitude alert. Correct and land. WX better than reported may have led to continuing approach; go around may have been mistake with traffic taking off prior landing. Should not have done approach; visual approach should have been required but just too busy with checklist and FMS confusion. Debriefed with first officer; agree we should have stayed with runway xxl. Poor decisions with late runway change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW LANDED FOLLOWING AN UNSTABILIZED APCH. ATC CHANGED RWY ASSIGNMENT WHEN ACFT ON DOWN WIND AND CREW FAILED TO SET UP FOR APCH.

Narrative: INITIALLY; HAD THE ILS XXL BUILT AND BRIEFED INTO FMS. ON VECTORS TO THE APCH; ATC SWITCHED OUR RWY TO XXR AND THE APCH WOULD BE RNAV (GPS) RWY XXR. IN SWITCHING APCHS; MISSED THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT GPS EQUIPPED (VNAV ONLY). RE-BRIEFED AND SET UP FOR THE APCH. AUTOPLT ON AND IN NAV CAPTURE MODE. ACFT DID NOT CAPTURE WHEN CTRED ON THE APCH PATH. USED 'HDG SELECT' TO GET BACK ON THE APCH COURSE AND DSNDED AT THE FAF. GND CONTACT AND RWY WAS IN SIGHT WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FT OF DSNDING. WHILE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY ACFT DIDN'T CAPTURE; WE RECEIVED A LOW LEVEL ALERT FROM TWR. ACFT WAS IN VMC CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME. CORRECTED ALT; AND XFERRED CTL OF ACFT TO CAPT AND CONTINUED TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG BY CAPT. DISTR OF SWITCHING RWYS AND ACFT NOT PERFORMING AS THOUGHT CONTRIBUTED TO DSNDING LOW. ALSO; SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH. SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A DIFFERENT APCH AND GONE MISSED APCH AT THE 'NON-CAPTURE' POINT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 766010: DOWNWIND FOR RWY XXL; R-HAND TFC; ADVISE CHANGE TO RWY XXR RNAV/GPS; LOAD FMS QUICK BRIEF; FO NOW PF; TURN BASE; CONFIGURING. PLANNING VNAV APCH AND DSCNT. OVER ABC AT 3100 FT; SEE ARPT; ACFT DID NOT CAPTURE FINAL COURSE. IN DSCNT; LATE TO GET BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST DONE. SEE RWY ALL THE WAY. CAPT TAKES ACFT ABOVE MINIMUMS. NO LEVELOFF; LOOKING AT RWY LOOKS LOW. TWR ADVISE ALT ALERT. CORRECT AND LAND. WX BETTER THAN RPTED MAY HAVE LED TO CONTINUING APCH; GAR MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKE WITH TFC TAKING OFF PRIOR LNDG. SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE APCH; VISUAL APCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED BUT JUST TOO BUSY WITH CHKLIST AND FMS CONFUSION. DEBRIEFED WITH FO; AGREE WE SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH RWY XXL. POOR DECISIONS WITH LATE RWY CHANGE.

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.

A flight crew landed following an unstabilized approach. ATC changed runway assignment when aircraft on down wind and crew failed to set up for approach.