Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 14000; Flight Crew Type 3000
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
On approach both I and the FO failed to recognize that we hadn't put the gear down at the normal time. We noticed just before/as the gear warning sounded. We should have gone around; but instinctively; the FO (who was flying) said gear down; flaps 30. I instinctively did it rather than calling for a go around. We got the gear and flaps down; and were stabilized in plenty of time; but perhaps not by the 1000 feet AGL that we should have been. I'm not sure when we got fully configured; but it was close to 1000 feet.In retrospect; we should have gone around at the first indication of being that low with the gear not down; but we both just kicked into the fix-it mode and tried to get configured how we should have already been. I don't believe we were unsafe as we landed without incident; but the safer thing would have been to go-around.The lessons are manifold. We were at the end of a long day; and felt fat dumb and happy; when we had failed to do a basic thing. Don't let yourself get into that position in the first place. However; finding yourself there; do the right thing. Don't force a bad situation. Go around; sort it out; kick yourself for being dumb; and get it right the next time.
CRJ-900 Captain reported they were late to lower the landCRJ-900 Captain reported being late to lower the landing gear; but elected to land rather than go-around for an unstabilized approach.