B737-700
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 221; Flight Crew Type 627
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
We were approaching PIT from the southwest with a plan for landing on Runway 28L. I was the pilot flying; and they kept us high for quite some time. Then as we were abeam the airport; cleared us to the final approach fix altitude; 3;000 feet (1875 feet AGL). They gave us a turn to 360 degrees that was a heading directly to the FAF at about three miles; but we were still apparently 1;000-1;500 feet above the FAF altitude and we were in Level Change. I had the speedbrakes deployed and flaps 5. They then gave us the heading of 320 degrees and cleared [us] for the visual approach. Still high at that point; I called for flaps 10; and armed VOR/LOC. I could tell that the intercept heading would not have us intercepting the final approach course until well inside the final approach fix. I then called for 'landing gear down;' and the Captain said 'I agree.' I had very good visuals with the runway and could see our rate of descent increasing. I knew we were still high; and going to intercept the glideslope first; so I armed approach.At that point; I was still on autopilot; and noticed my pitch mode in the FMA blanked out; and we were descending below glidepath; at approximately 1;600-1;700 feet AGL. The Captain said 'Where are you going?' at about the same time I heard a 'Caution Obstacle.' I immediately turned off autopilot and leveled and continued slowing; stowed the speed brakes; and called for flaps 15. I had good visual contact with the ground; and noticed we were approaching 1300 feet above field elevation; and close to glidepath. I called for 'Flaps 30; Before Landing Checklist;' and we completed the checklist and continued the approach to landing.I learned several important points. We should have gone around when we got the warning. I knew we'd have to do a [report on this incident]; but did not initially realize we should have gone around in night conditions even if VMC. I should've also taken a turn back to the north to intercept final approach course instead of staying on the same heading prior to the visual clearance. I also think I was too worried about working the MCP and staying with the autopilot; rather than flying the aircraft and keeping my rate of descent under control.The Captain was supportive of my efforts to get back on glidepath; but reiterated that in night conditions; even if VMC; a 'Caution Obstacle' aural warning requires a go-around. I think I probably felt too confident with my flying skills; and accepted the short turn [to] final when I probably should have turned north to give myself more room to maneuver prior to intercepting the final approach course.
It was the third month on the line for the First Officer. Approach Control gave us a vector to final for a visual approach that was inside the FAF. We were high on energy and I directed the First Officer to slow and get some drag out; which we started doing. I went heads down to find the Tower frequency and tune it in the radio. When I looked back up at the runway; I could see immediately we were low. At some point the First Officer had set zeros in the MCP altitude window and descended below the FAF altitude. First Officer asked for more flaps; and I instead directed a climb. He started to make the correction. At that time we got a 'Caution Obstacle' audio. I was already in the mode of directing a climb as well as power and configuration changes which had the desired result of correcting the flight path to a normal glidepath. The audio caution did not last long and shortly thereafter I realized that a go-around was the proper response but the correction to the flight path had already been made. At that point there was no need to go around as we were back on a proper path to the runway.
B737-700 flight crew reported they were on a night visual approach and received a GPWS terrain warning. The crew did not execute a missed approach/go-around.