B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 180; Flight Crew Type 700
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Airport; Weather
Behind schedule flight into BUR. On final descent; we requested the RNAV VISUAL 33; told to expect and briefed it. While being vectored by Final Approach Controller; he asked if we could do the ILS 8 circle to 15. We accepted.We were vectored on the ILS very close to the marker and high and fast. We got visual contact with the airport and began circling to 15. We were fast and high from the beginning. The Captain configured for a flaps 40 landing and circled to 15. We had briefed an obstacle near the final approach course for 15 (a Tower) and kept a close eye on that. We began to pick up a tailwind on base leg while being somewhat high on visual glidepath. We received several 'Don't Sink' call outs and the Captain said correcting. On short final; we received a 'Pull Up'; but being so close to landing we continued and landed. We should have gone around.
We arrived into ZZZ about 20 minutes late due to minor maintenance issue [earlier]. Upon arrival we received weather packet and reviewed. Burbank TAF was within visibility and wind limits; though it was forecast to go out after our arrival. The Agent came down and told us Dispatch had locked out the flight and to call them. I did; and was told Burbank was forecast to go out of wind with an amended TAF that had just come out. METAR winds were still 080/6 but all winds in TAF were out of limits for a Runway 8 arrival. We needed 5000-5 for charted visuals to 15 and 33 and it was below that. It was above 100-3 which allowed for a circle off of ILS to 8. I checked BUR airport pages and reviewed circling approaches with FO (First Officer) to see if this would be legal and advisable. I called the Chief in Operations and he said they were recommending ILS 8 circle to Dispatch and an option. Dispatch called back and we agreed that we could legally depart with present weather and forecast and we did.We monitored wind on METAR enroute to BUR. Normal operations with me as PF (Pilot Flying) and I briefed ILS to visual to Runway 8 as current ATIS and landing data allowed arrival to it. I also briefed that we would do charted visuals if new weather allowed and winds swapped out. I noted we would circle if we had to as we had discussed in ZZZ. When new ATIS was available; FO pulled it up and winds did not allow landing on Runway 8; but 15 and 33 were within landing limits. This eliminated Runway 8 but visibility and ceiling had improved to allow charted RNAV visuals. Since we were dealing with almost a direct crosswind; and we were on arrival that ended near the initial fix for the 33 RNAV visual; I preferred that approach. It had a slight tailwind on 33 but stopping margins were around 1000 feet. I loaded 33 visual into the box and FO requested it with SoCal Approach; and he took us off arrival and vectored us toward the first fix of RNAV visual to 33. Abeam Van Nuys and at 5000 feet in IMC; he said turn left heading 040 and join the localizer to 8. We queried and he said expect the circle to 15 off ILS to Runway 8. We turned and intercepted and were full deflection high and IMC. We asked for lower and he gave us 3000 feet. We broke out just outside BUDDE and I told FO I had field and to call it visual. He noted we were high on GS and I said we are circling and we can get down. He was clearly in Yellow and headed to Red. I was ok as we were mid-field downwind visual with gear out and configuring. As we turned base; the tailwind started to increase our ground speed and I had to increase bank angle to 30 degrees; went over 30 as the turbulence started increasing. My plan; which I verbalized was to make a very shallow turn to final and let the strong crosswind line me up at 1000 feet with runway centerline; I was effectively wings level on base to final fully configured. Our ground speed was very high with the quartering tailwind on base and I was having a hard time staying spooled within speed and not sinking excessively. I was in Yellow and headed to Red. We were going to sink above the recommended rate of 1000 feet but it was getting hard to keep the touchdown target on the nose and maintain speed. The wind did not abate and I am not sure of final altitude but we lined up on centerline very close to 500 feet and received a SINK RATE cautionary GPWS. I noted it; and as I turned into wind; I was of the belief that rate would stabilize as GS bled off. It did not due to gusts and turbulence rolling off building to east of runway. Rate again triggered SINK RATE a few times on final and I added power but did not want to raise nose and put my touchdown point down the runway. After clearing airport boundary fence we received a GPWS warning PULL UP. At that point I was flaps 40 in moderate rolling turbulence with power back and flight path on 1000 foot marker. I landed as I felt it was best and safest choice given altitude and conditions. We were able to exit mid-field; and upon arrival I called Operations and told them that circling to 15 from 8 was not recommended; and that given winds and tailwinds on base a high sink rate was necessary to maintain glide path. I stated that charted visuals to 15 should be requested.
Air carrier flight crew reported an unstable approach when circling to land.