Narrative:

This situation arose from 2 factors: new non smoking procedures and my failure to fly approach completely automated or completely manual not half and half. F/a's under the old smoking system were keyed to make their final cabin checks for landing by the illumination of the no smoking sign, which in this a/C was normally activated automatically by lowering the landing gear. This particular day I was hand-flying the ILS approach to day with the automatic throttles still activated, app directed us to keep up our speed to 170 KT to the marker which we did, thus I delayed extending the gear until inside the marker (approximately 3 mi final) at that time I realized I had failed to manually cycle the no smoking sign (new procedure to key F/a to impending arrival) so the F/a were just now doing their final checks realizing we were on app when they heard the gear extend. I directed the first officer to let them know we had given them a late warning, which he attempted to do via the interphone he was unable to get an answer on his first couple of tries--I became too distracted by his activity (my fault) and when he finally got thru and I diverted by whole attention back to the app I was on a mile final on profile but still doing 160 KT because I had neither reset the speed control to bug+5 nor disconnected the automatic throttles, in my efforts to arrive at a normal approach speed I was late respooling the engines and made a firmer than planned arrival. Lessons: fly the a/C, automatic all the way or completely off and last but not least the old standby every student knows--if its not right go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HARD LNDG AT DAY FROM AN AUTO APCH.

Narrative: THIS SITUATION AROSE FROM 2 FACTORS: NEW NON SMOKING PROCEDURES AND MY FAILURE TO FLY APPROACH COMPLETELY AUTOMATED OR COMPLETELY MANUAL NOT HALF AND HALF. F/A'S UNDER THE OLD SMOKING SYSTEM WERE KEYED TO MAKE THEIR FINAL CABIN CHECKS FOR LANDING BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE NO SMOKING SIGN, WHICH IN THIS A/C WAS NORMALLY ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY BY LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. THIS PARTICULAR DAY I WAS HAND-FLYING THE ILS APPROACH TO DAY WITH THE AUTO THROTTLES STILL ACTIVATED, APP DIRECTED US TO KEEP UP OUR SPEED TO 170 KT TO THE MARKER WHICH WE DID, THUS I DELAYED EXTENDING THE GEAR UNTIL INSIDE THE MARKER (APPROX 3 MI FINAL) AT THAT TIME I REALIZED I HAD FAILED TO MANUALLY CYCLE THE NO SMOKING SIGN (NEW PROCEDURE TO KEY F/A TO IMPENDING ARRIVAL) SO THE F/A WERE JUST NOW DOING THEIR FINAL CHECKS REALIZING WE WERE ON APP WHEN THEY HEARD THE GEAR EXTEND. I DIRECTED THE F/O TO LET THEM KNOW WE HAD GIVEN THEM A LATE WARNING, WHICH HE ATTEMPTED TO DO VIA THE INTERPHONE HE WAS UNABLE TO GET AN ANSWER ON HIS FIRST COUPLE OF TRIES--I BECAME TOO DISTRACTED BY HIS ACTIVITY (MY FAULT) AND WHEN HE FINALLY GOT THRU AND I DIVERTED BY WHOLE ATTN BACK TO THE APP I WAS ON A MILE FINAL ON PROFILE BUT STILL DOING 160 KT BECAUSE I HAD NEITHER RESET THE SPEED CONTROL TO BUG+5 NOR DISCONNECTED THE AUTO THROTTLES, IN MY EFFORTS TO ARRIVE AT A NORMAL APCH SPEED I WAS LATE RESPOOLING THE ENGINES AND MADE A FIRMER THAN PLANNED ARRIVAL. LESSONS: FLY THE A/C, AUTO ALL THE WAY OR COMPLETELY OFF AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE OLD STANDBY EVERY STUDENT KNOWS--IF ITS NOT RIGHT GO AROUND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.