The flight crew of a passenger 737 missed arming the speedbrake before landing at Melbourne, after their workload increased unexpectedly during the arrival, an ATSB investigation has found.
On 2 July 2025, a Virgin Australia 737 was arriving in Melbourne when it exceeded two speed limitations on the standard terminal arrival route, and its flight crew was instructed to reduce speed below 180 kt, and then 160 kt, by air traffic control (ATC), likely to provide separation from other aircraft.
The crew hastened the conduct of the approach actions after perceiving the ATC instructions to be urgent, and missed arming the speedbrake and performing the landing checks.
As the aircraft descended below 1,000 ft above airfield elevation, the crew assessed the approach to be stable and continued, resulting in the aircraft landing without its speedbrake armed, and thus without it automatically deploying.
Noticing this, the captain moved their hand to the lever to raise it manually. But before they could do so, the first officer selected reverse thrust, which automatically deployed the speedbrake. The aircraft then decelerated, and the flight concluded without further incident.
ATSB Director Transport Safety Stuart Macleod said the flight crew were put under a higher than usual workload when they allowed the aircraft to exceed speed limitations on the arrival.
"The crew were then slow to take positive steps to reduce speed requiring ATC to instruct them to slow further, and the crew's attention became focused on achieving the requested speed reductions, likely resulting in them omitting to arm the speedbrake and conduct the landing checks," Mr Macleod said.
Mr Macleod noted threat and error management principles state proactive management of workload throughout the flight is a key defence against capacity and attention-related errors by flight crew.
"Checklists are a vital defence against human error and are integral to maintaining flight safety," he added.
"This occurrence highlights the importance of adhering to standard operating procedures and ensuring checklists are conducted at the appropriate times."
You can find here the final report: Incorrect landing configuration involving Boeing 737, VH-YFZ, Melbourne Airport, Victoria, on 2 July 2025
