Lear 60 first officer reports descending below 1;500 at dandy during the ILS 6 circle to land runway...

Attributes
ACN	929139
Time
Date	201101
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	TEB.Airport
State Reference	NJ
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Learjet 60
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	Final Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150 Flight Crew Total 5100 Flight Crew Type 2000
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

We were cleared for the ILS 6 circle to land runway 1. There is a mandatory crossing altitude at the FAF (final approach fix) of 1;500 ft. We descended below 1;500 ft prior to the fix and began the circle at a lower than charted altitude. The controller advised that we missed the mandatory altitude and advised of several towers in the area. I have flown this approach many; many times and I even verbally told the captain (pilot not flying) on this leg to expect the crossing at 1;500 ft. I believe the problem started when I asked him to set me up for the approach. He set up the white source (GPS) and not the green source (ILS) even though we were cleared for the ILS. In my head I think I saw that we were doing a visual circle because the approach chart was not briefed and the radios were not set up for the crossing altitude. Had they been set up I would have seen the glideslope and followed it down at the proper altitude and would not have gotten the low altitude alert from the tower. I will insist that the radios are set properly in the future even in VMC conditions and even though I am not a captain at this company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Lear 60 First Officer reports descending below 1;500 at DANDY during the ILS 6 circle to land Runway 1 at TEB. A low altitude alert is generated during the circle maneuver and communicated by ATC. The ILS had not been tuned by the Captain [pilot not flying] nor requested by the First Officer.

Narrative: We were cleared for the ILS 6 circle to land Runway 1. There is a mandatory crossing altitude at the FAF (Final Approach Fix) of 1;500 FT. We descended below 1;500 FT prior to the fix and began the circle at a lower than charted altitude. The Controller advised that we missed the mandatory altitude and advised of several towers in the area. I have flown this approach many; many times and I even verbally told the Captain (pilot not flying) on this leg to expect the crossing at 1;500 FT. I believe the problem started when I asked him to set me up for the approach. He set up the white source (GPS) and not the green source (ILS) even though we were cleared for the ILS. In my head I think I saw that we were doing a visual circle because the approach chart was not briefed and the radios were not set up for the crossing altitude. Had they been set up I would have seen the glideslope and followed it down at the proper altitude and would not have gotten the low altitude alert from the Tower. I will INSIST that the radios are set properly in the future even in VMC conditions and even though I am not a Captain at this company.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Lear 60 first officer reports descending below 1;500 at dandy during the ILS 6 circle to land runway 1 at teb. A low altitude alert is generated during the circle maneuver and communicated by ATC. The ILS had not been tuned by the captain [pilot not flying] nor requested by the first officer.