Narrative:

First officer's first leg of first day of initial operating experience. Deviation below min altitude prior to final approach fix. While approaching allentown from west, approach cleared us to 2000 ft. During this time, first officer (me) was completing checklist items and other duties. I had abe in VOR and we were subsequently cleared the localizer back course approach to runway 24. I failed to tune in etx VOR for DME information. Captain was flying and noticed DME was about 10 DME. He began descent down to the MDA of 760 ft MSL. At about 1000 ft MSL (600 ft AGL) tower called and said we were well below the proper altitude for the approach and we should climb back immediately. We were approximately 7 mi from the runway at that point. FAF is 4.5 mi from the runway. We began a slow ascent but never got back to the correct altitude prior to the final approach fix. Upon seeing the runway, we initiated a normal descent to a landing. Other information: first officer very inexperienced. Behind the aircraft most of the way. Still running checklists and doing other duties. Non-collocated VOR. Marginal WX along with flying a not-often-used type of approach. First officer failed to set in proper VOR. Captain did not catch error. Situational and locational awareness by both pilots low. Pilots should have spent more time briefing approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COPLT ON HIS INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO GO WELL BELOW ITS ASSIGNED ALT BECAUSE HE DID NOT TUNE THE RIGHT VOR.

Narrative: FO'S FIRST LEG OF FIRST DAY OF INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE. DEV BELOW MIN ALT PRIOR TO FINAL APCH FIX. WHILE APCHING ALLENTOWN FROM W, APCH CLRED US TO 2000 FT. DURING THIS TIME, FO (ME) WAS COMPLETING CHKLIST ITEMS AND OTHER DUTIES. I HAD ABE IN VOR AND WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED THE LOC BACK COURSE APCH TO RWY 24. I FAILED TO TUNE IN ETX VOR FOR DME INFO. CAPT WAS FLYING AND NOTICED DME WAS ABOUT 10 DME. HE BEGAN DSCNT DOWN TO THE MDA OF 760 FT MSL. AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL (600 FT AGL) TWR CALLED AND SAID WE WERE WELL BELOW THE PROPER ALT FOR THE APCH AND WE SHOULD CLB BACK IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE APPROX 7 MI FROM THE RWY AT THAT POINT. FAF IS 4.5 MI FROM THE RWY. WE BEGAN A SLOW ASCENT BUT NEVER GOT BACK TO THE CORRECT ALT PRIOR TO THE FINAL APCH FIX. UPON SEEING THE RWY, WE INITIATED A NORMAL DSCNT TO A LNDG. OTHER INFO: FO VERY INEXPERIENCED. BEHIND THE ACFT MOST OF THE WAY. STILL RUNNING CHKLISTS AND DOING OTHER DUTIES. NON-COLLOCATED VOR. MARGINAL WX ALONG WITH FLYING A NOT-OFTEN-USED TYPE OF APCH. FO FAILED TO SET IN PROPER VOR. CAPT DID NOT CATCH ERROR. SITUATIONAL AND LOCATIONAL AWARENESS BY BOTH PLTS LOW. PLTS SHOULD HAVE SPENT MORE TIME BRIEFING APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.