Originally Posted by Carl Spackler

Maybe the 777 guys can help me out here, but I wonder if it wasn't something as simple as automation confusion?

Consider that we know the GS was out of service and that ATC seems to always keep you high on those visual approaches to the 28's. It's logical they would have been descending in FLCH (airspeed controlled by pitch and autothrottles kept at idle). If TDZ elevation was set in the altitude window while descending in FLCH, and there was no active glide slope for them to capture, what if they simply disconnected the autopilot and flew visually once they captured a visual glide path. They may have kept the autothrottles engaged thinking it would be there to hold the target approach speed for them...but autothrottles would have stayed at idle due to FLCH mode. If everyone assumed the autothrottles would do their job, and nobody was watching airspeed, that's one explanation as to how an experienced crew could have gotten so slow.

Just a thought...and could well be wrong since I don't know the 777 modes.

Carl