Narrative:

Air carrier flight. Flying the RNAV arrival. Approach control offered a visual approach. I accepted the visual approach since the airport was in sight with good visibility and no traffic ahead of us within 5 mi. I had programmed the RNAV GPS runway xx into the FMS prior to descent expecting this runway. When given the visual approach; I extended the FAF for runway xx in the FMS as a reference for the runway extended centerline and for a reference altitude. I spent too much time heads down in the cockpit and was high on left base to perform a normal descent and landing. First officer relayed to the tower we were high for the landing. Tower told us to turn left to the southeast over the field and climb to 7000 ft. Tower then passed us back to approach for vectors for a left downwind ILS runway yy. It is nice to have all the 'magic' with the FMS; but spending too much time heads down in the cockpit kept me higher than I wanted to be for the visual approach. To prevent this situation from occurring again; I'll spend less time heads down; have the first officer make any changes in the FMS; and most importantly just fly the aircraft visually to the airport using outside visual references.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 PILOT ACCEPTED A RWY CHANGE FOR A VIS APCH AND WHILE PROGRAMMING THE FMS FOR THE NEW RWY GOT HIGH AND EXECUTED A GAR.

Narrative: ACR FLT. FLYING THE RNAV ARR. APCH CTL OFFERED A VISUAL APCH. I ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH SINCE THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND NO TFC AHEAD OF US WITHIN 5 MI. I HAD PROGRAMMED THE RNAV GPS RWY XX INTO THE FMS PRIOR TO DSCNT EXPECTING THIS RWY. WHEN GIVEN THE VISUAL APCH; I EXTENDED THE FAF FOR RWY XX IN THE FMS AS A REF FOR THE RWY EXTENDED CTRLINE AND FOR A REF ALT. I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT AND WAS HIGH ON L BASE TO PERFORM A NORMAL DSCNT AND LNDG. FO RELAYED TO THE TWR WE WERE HIGH FOR THE LNDG. TWR TOLD US TO TURN L TO THE SE OVER THE FIELD AND CLB TO 7000 FT. TWR THEN PASSED US BACK TO APCH FOR VECTORS FOR A L DOWNWIND ILS RWY YY. IT IS NICE TO HAVE ALL THE 'MAGIC' WITH THE FMS; BUT SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT KEPT ME HIGHER THAN I WANTED TO BE FOR THE VISUAL APCH. TO PREVENT THIS SIT FROM OCCURRING AGAIN; I'LL SPEND LESS TIME HEADS DOWN; HAVE THE FO MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THE FMS; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY JUST FLY THE ACFT VISUALLY TO THE ARPT USING OUTSIDE VISUAL REFS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.