B767-300 and 300 ER
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 9
Workload; Situational Awareness; Fatigue; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airport; Human Factors
On arrival; Approach Control was keeping us high. The Approach Controller asked if we wanted a turn to lose altitude. After giving us a 70 degree vector; the Controller asked if we had the field and cleared us for a visual approach. While maneuvering to lose altitude and airspeed; we got the 1;000 feet alert while not fully configured. We regained the glide slope and continued the approach. As [the other First Officer]; it was hard to see the instruments but due to the fact that the airfield sits on a 500 feet bluff above the water; optical illusions made it appear that we were high initially and as we got closer appearing low. It appeared to me that after reestablishing the GS; we were configured and stable between 1;000 feet and 500 feet.I believe that this was the first time that myself and the Captain had been to this airport and I feel that the Jeppesen approach plates and company pages could have described the physical location/topography and visual illusions better. The picture of the airfield in the reference pages showed no indication that the airfield was 500 feet above the surrounding water.
On arrival into ZZZZ; the Approach Controller kept us high for slightly too long. Approach Control finally cleared us to descend after we again requested lower; and subsequently gave us a visual approach. We accepted vectors to the right (over the sea) to lose altitude and aggressively corrected to re-acquire the glide path. While configuring for landing; the runway environment briefly appeared hazy and gave us the illusion of still being above proper glide path. At approximately 1;000 feet AGL; we stopped our descent; set final flaps and re-acquired the desired glide path. The aircraft was stable just below 1;000 [feet] AGL; and the landing to Runway XX was uneventful.The combination of the approach controller keeping us high for too long; along with the visual illusion of being slightly high closer in due to slight haze and the runway sitting on a bluff; led us to over correct on final.Air crews should push to get down sooner; or slow earlier on the arrival. A more detailed and descriptive picture of the runway environment at the final approach fix will also be helpful.
Flight reported unfamiliarity with destination airport; caused disorientation and subsequent non- stabilized approach.