“Net: pilot error all the way.”
Stay in that arm chair. Why would the pilot descend too fast or deviate from a normal glide path, factoring in winds. Wouldn’t the controller have mentioned his rapid descent rate?
Well your question about “why?” is addressed by my get-there-itis comment. As a pilot there is often a desire to not go around on a blown approach, but rather to find a way to “get there.” Same applies to marginal or deteriorating weather, where the right decision is to make a 180° turn and get to a smart alternate. I’ve been a passenger on a 737 flight into Ohare that should have been a divert due to winds. Alternately I’ve been on a couple Delta flights that diverted due to weather.
So let’s say the pilot is high, above the glideslope on final. Lower airspeed yields altitude loss, duh. So that leads to a faster than proper rate of descent. 1100 fpm is too high. Correct able with power and time.
Another reason as to why is that the pilot(s) got well behind the aircraft and did the wrong thing- landed. ** we don’t know ** but given what we think we know and see, a missed approach would have been the right choice. <-— this is pilot(s) error.
I never had a controller advise me on my altitude on final, BTW. Can’t speak for airlines into Toronto. On final, ya tend to get focused on flying the aircraft and the approach while the first officer communicates important data like altitude, speed, flap settings etc. PIC flies the plane with the updates from the co pilot. That’s my experience. Can’t speak for Delta cockpit procedures. I never piloted jets and never had a commercial rating.
Does this answer your question?
Just askin- were you ever a pilot? (Not an attempted slam, just a question)