Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Training / Qualification
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Company Policy; Procedure
The leg to LGA with me; the First Officer (FO); as the Pilot Flying (PF). The approach in use was the Expressway Visual to 31. The Captain and I covered all applicable arrival/approach items focusing on the execution of the visual approach as this was my first time flying it and the Captain was also fairly unfamiliar. The game plan was to configure with gear and flaps 30 by DIALS and then focus on finding visual references and meeting the descent plan per the company pages in order to reduce our descent rate to meet stable approach criteria. With those items met we would configure to flaps 45 once landing was assured due to the significant heading change at low altitude to turn to final. Once we started the descent after DIALS it appeared that we met the initial descent check point; but then began descending below planned altitudes. Recognizing that; I shallowed my descent and focused on controlling airspeed while also keeping the final turn stadium reference and runway insight. During this time we configured to flaps 45 at approximately 500' and then completed the landing checklist at approximately 400'. During this phase I found that banking left for corrections left/turning to final I was unable to see the runway as the bank put the runway above the windscreen.I informed the Captain of this and to call my turns and roll out until I told him I could maintain visual with the runway. Also during this time we had multiple calls from tower for us to 'continue' and then finally clearance to land. Causal factors include lack of familiarity with the visual approach; a game plan to fully configure late during a high task period of the approach; and a high task load driven by; a need to vary descent rate; visual reference reliance at low altitude in close proximity to the runway driving a low angle view out the nose and side of the aircraft; close proximity to buildings; and a nonstandard/large low altitude turn to final. Suggest including briefings and simulator practice of this and other known similar approaches during initial and recurrent training. For future execution of this approach I would fully configure post DIALS; but prior to 1;000' AGL for stable approach compliance and reduced task load.
First Officer reported losing sight of the runway during the left turn to final while flying the Expressway Visual 31 approach to LaGuardia airport.