B717 flight crew descends early during a VOR approach and received a 'low altitude alert' from ATC.

Attributes
ACN	689694
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : nun.vor
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 650
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pns.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B717 (Formerly MD-95)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 152 flight time total : 6015 flight time type : 2867
ASRS Report	689694
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On a visual approach for runway 8; we were at 1700 ft; 2 mi outside the VOR and we were cleared to land on runway 8. The first officer was flying and chose to practice the VOR 8 approach. He started down to MDA a little early crossing saufley VOR at 800 ft. He should have stayed at 1700 ft till crossing saufley. He went below the MDA down to 6500 ft; and then I told him to climb back up to MDA. About the same time we got a call from tower saying they had a low altitude alert. I told them we were correcting our altitude. He climbed back to 800 ft and made a normal landing. He thought we were much closer to the airport than we were. Looking closer at the approach and the DME he would have seen we were still 6 mi from the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 FLT CREW DSNDS EARLY DURING A VOR APCH AND RECEIVED A 'LOW ALT ALERT' FROM ATC.

Narrative: ON A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 8; WE WERE AT 1700 FT; 2 MI OUTSIDE THE VOR AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 8. THE FO WAS FLYING AND CHOSE TO PRACTICE THE VOR 8 APCH. HE STARTED DOWN TO MDA A LITTLE EARLY XING SAUFLEY VOR AT 800 FT. HE SHOULD HAVE STAYED AT 1700 FT TILL XING SAUFLEY. HE WENT BELOW THE MDA DOWN TO 6500 FT; AND THEN I TOLD HIM TO CLB BACK UP TO MDA. ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE GOT A CALL FROM TWR SAYING THEY HAD A LOW ALT ALERT. I TOLD THEM WE WERE CORRECTING OUR ALT. HE CLBED BACK TO 800 FT AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. HE THOUGHT WE WERE MUCH CLOSER TO THE ARPT THAN WE WERE. LOOKING CLOSER AT THE APCH AND THE DME HE WOULD HAVE SEEN WE WERE STILL 6 MI FROM THE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.