A319
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Total 18000
Confusion; Distraction; Fatigue; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Landing Without Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy
I was flying the aircraft when the following events occurred. Approach had kept us up unusually high (4;000 feet) during the turn to base to land. We were on the arrival and last assigned airspeed was 210 knots. We were also vectored in tight to the final approach fix which was 3;000 feet and above on approach plate. When asked if the field was in sight and after answering yes; we were given a dog leg to final still at 4;000 feet and last assigned airspeed of 210 knots and flaps 1. Then we were cleared for the Visual Approach. I immediately turned off the autopilot and selected 170 knots in airspeed window and then selected managed speed; auto thrust still on and began descending. We dropped the gear just under 4;000 feet in the effort to slow and configure and get on a visual glide path on the VASI. Being fairly new to the Airbus fleet; I didn't recognize the depth of the situation in terms of getting slow to configure and getting on proper glide path.I thought the aircraft could hack it especially since I was hand flying. We established gear and flaps 3 before 1;000 feet but had briefed full flap approach. Approaching 1;000 feet the First Officer mentioned flaps not at full and during the time compression I was experiencing; I was wondering why he mentioned that because I still had till 500 feet to be fully configured. WRONG-just goes to show you. Another causal event; this one in my mind that we could still get flaps to full by 500 feet and continue to land. I confused the stable call by 500 feet in VMC. It doesn't matter how many times or hours you've been fully configured by 1;000 feet my mental confusion perplexed the First Officer and I think he was a little reluctant to call for a go around which is exactly what I should have initiated probably on the dog leg. We got flaps to full at 534 feet AGL. I had still confused fully configured by 1;000 feet after blocking in and said we got flaps just in time. I didn't hear the 500 foot call and was so intent on looking outside and looking at airspeed that I can't confirm at what altitude I called stable. Neither one of us heard Approach tell us to contact Tower; and in the heat of the battle; we forgot to switch frequencies. I think I called for a Before Landing Checklist but I'm not certain. We landed without clearance from Tower. I talked to the Tower Supervisor on my phone after blocking in and he said they gave us a green light to land so we really did have clearance to land. I didn't see that light either nor was I looking for one. I landed the aircraft smoothly on speed well within the 800 to 1500 foot landing zone. I asked Tower why we weren't given a slower airspeed on base leg and he said approach normally assigns 170 till 5 miles. We weren't directed to slow and my XX years of flying out of another airport reminded me while I was flying the aircraft how upset ATC got if you slowed early on base leg. In the future; I need to ask for a slower speed if not told to slow and also not accept such a tight turn to final. I went to bed at XA15 local; fell right to sleep; and my alarm was set for XI30-we had a XJ40 van show. I like to check flight info concerning weather; airfields and aircraft status before I pull the flight plan. I heard a loud noise in hallway and woke up at just after XT00 local. I always sleep with earplugs on layovers to avoid the noise but they didn't help last night. I tossed and turned for rest of night and got up at XI15 while getting maybe a few minutes more of sleep. I was tired but really not much more so than after 8 hours of sleep. A cup of coffee at airport helped. A fatigued call didn't cross my mind at all especially after the coffee. In retrospect I feel I wasn't at my A game and the slam dunk on approach and my mistakes certainly confirm that to me. I discussed how to be more assertive with old Captains and thoroughly discussed what lessons I learned with my First Officer.
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A319 flight crew reported they were turned on to final above glide path and landed; aircraft was not configured on a stabilized approach at the appropriate altitude and they was not in contact with the Tower.