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B737 descended too low during a night visual approach resulting in tower issuing a low altitude warning.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 533342 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200112 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bdl.airport |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bdl.tower tower : mgm.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 533342 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : msaw other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned airspace |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
At 2500 ft MSL approaching bdl and cleared for visual approach to runway 6. Runway clearly insight and descent initiated to 1500 ft MSL. Glide slope was centered while on angle to the runway, but when turning final, glide slope indicated approximately 1 DOT low. As correction was initiated, the tower controller stated he received a low altitude warning for us. Glide slope was re-intercepted and an uneventful landing followed. What caused the problem was descending to 1500 ft MSL instead of 1800 ft MSL (published glide slope intercept altitude) when cleared for the visual. Two things we could have done differently to have prevented the problem: not accepted the visual and continued on the vector (since we knew there is terrain in the area) or been more aware of the published glide slope intercept altitude and have descended to that altitude when cleared for the visual approach.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 DESCENDED TOO LOW DURING A NIGHT VISUAL APCH RESULTING IN TOWER ISSUING A LOW ALT WARNING.
Narrative: AT 2500 FT MSL APCHING BDL AND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 6. RWY CLRLY INSIGHT AND DSCNT INITIATED TO 1500 FT MSL. GLIDE SLOPE WAS CENTERED WHILE ON ANGLE TO THE RWY, BUT WHEN TURNING FINAL, GLIDE SLOPE INDICATED APPROX 1 DOT LOW. AS CORRECTION WAS INITIATED, THE TWR CTLR STATED HE RECEIVED A LOW ALT WARNING FOR US. GLIDE SLOPE WAS RE-INTERCEPTED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS DSNDING TO 1500 FT MSL INSTEAD OF 1800 FT MSL (PUBLISHED GLIDE SLOPE INTERCEPT ALT) WHEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. TWO THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO HAVE PREVENTED THE PROB: NOT ACCEPTED THE VISUAL AND CONTINUED ON THE VECTOR (SINCE WE KNEW THERE IS TERRAIN IN THE AREA) OR BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE PUBLISHED GLIDE SLOPE INTERCEPT ALT AND HAVE DSNDED TO THAT ALT WHEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL 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.