Narrative:

On heading 110 degrees for vector to runway 31R at dfw. At 6000' MSL approximately 8 mi from dfw, approach asked if we could make it down, leading us to believe we were high. We replied that we could, knowing that we could dirty up and lose altitude in the turn back to the field. ATC gave us heading 290 degrees to intercept ILS 31R. This turn was too late and we overshot the localizer to the west. ATC gave us heading 330 degrees descend to 2000' till established. Still thinking we were close and high, I put out the flaps and gear and set up a good sink. In the haze dal runway 31 came in to view causing me to go visibility thinking dal was dfw for a moment. Just then ATC called with a low altitude check and left turn to intercept ILS 31R dfw. I had descended to 1600' MSL. I then climbed the aircraft back to 2000' MSL and continued with the remainder of the ILS approach and landing normal. I fell prey to visibility ground contact distraction and controller implanted picture of being too high. A contributing factor was a poor and too short sleep on my part the night before the flight. Supplemental information from acn 103372: when we rolled out on a heading of 330 degrees, I saw that we were below G/south and told the captain that we could maintain our current altitude until intercepting. He elected to continue the descent. I did not press the issue because we were still above the 2400' minimum and still thinking we were high thought it might be a false G/south. We were just below the clouds and in haze heading 330 degrees when the captain asked me to look for the runway. I saw one that appeared to be 310 degrees orientation at about our 2 O'clock position. The captain turned toward the runway, heading 360 degrees, and increased his rate of descent. It turned out to be runway 31 at dal. Through the haze we were not able to see other distinguishing features of the airport so I believe that flying through the localizer a second time was what keyed us to the fact that it was not dfw. We turned back toward the proper course continuing to descend while looking for the runway. Approach control issued 3 warnings that we were below our assigned altitude. The first 2 I relayed to the captain. Coincident with the third warning I pushed the throttles forward and informed the captain that we were low and had to get back to the assigned altitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the flight crew had ground contact west/O no danger of striking terrain or PNF would have taken action sooner. Controller statement, if think you can make it, coupled with fact is unusual for approach to vector aircraft for this runway over into the dal area, helped give crew misconception. PNF had just tuned from VOR to ILS, so had lost DME readout. Feels with any other PIC this would not have happened as this PIC tended to get behind aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MINIMUM SAFE ALT WARNING TO ACR WDB WHEN APCH STARTED TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: ON HDG 110 DEGS FOR VECTOR TO RWY 31R AT DFW. AT 6000' MSL APPROX 8 MI FROM DFW, APCH ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE IT DOWN, LEADING US TO BELIEVE WE WERE HIGH. WE REPLIED THAT WE COULD, KNOWING THAT WE COULD DIRTY UP AND LOSE ALT IN THE TURN BACK TO THE FIELD. ATC GAVE US HDG 290 DEGS TO INTERCEPT ILS 31R. THIS TURN WAS TOO LATE AND WE OVERSHOT THE LOC TO THE W. ATC GAVE US HDG 330 DEGS DSND TO 2000' TILL ESTABLISHED. STILL THINKING WE WERE CLOSE AND HIGH, I PUT OUT THE FLAPS AND GEAR AND SET UP A GOOD SINK. IN THE HAZE DAL RWY 31 CAME IN TO VIEW CAUSING ME TO GO VIS THINKING DAL WAS DFW FOR A MOMENT. JUST THEN ATC CALLED WITH A LOW ALT CHK AND LEFT TURN TO INTERCEPT ILS 31R DFW. I HAD DSNDED TO 1600' MSL. I THEN CLBED THE ACFT BACK TO 2000' MSL AND CONTINUED WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE ILS APCH AND LNDG NORMAL. I FELL PREY TO VIS GND CONTACT DISTR AND CTLR IMPLANTED PICTURE OF BEING TOO HIGH. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A POOR AND TOO SHORT SLEEP ON MY PART THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 103372: WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON A HDG OF 330 DEGS, I SAW THAT WE WERE BELOW G/S AND TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT ALT UNTIL INTERCEPTING. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE DSCNT. I DID NOT PRESS THE ISSUE BECAUSE WE WERE STILL ABOVE THE 2400' MINIMUM AND STILL THINKING WE WERE HIGH THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A FALSE G/S. WE WERE JUST BELOW THE CLOUDS AND IN HAZE HDG 330 DEGS WHEN THE CAPT ASKED ME TO LOOK FOR THE RWY. I SAW ONE THAT APPEARED TO BE 310 DEGS ORIENTATION AT ABOUT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS. THE CAPT TURNED TOWARD THE RWY, HDG 360 DEGS, AND INCREASED HIS RATE OF DSCNT. IT TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 31 AT DAL. THROUGH THE HAZE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE OTHER DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE ARPT SO I BELIEVE THAT FLYING THROUGH THE LOC A SECOND TIME WAS WHAT KEYED US TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT DFW. WE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE PROPER COURSE CONTINUING TO DSND WHILE LOOKING FOR THE RWY. APCH CTL ISSUED 3 WARNINGS THAT WE WERE BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE FIRST 2 I RELAYED TO THE CAPT. COINCIDENT WITH THE THIRD WARNING I PUSHED THE THROTTLES FORWARD AND INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE WERE LOW AND HAD TO GET BACK TO THE ASSIGNED ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FLT CREW HAD GND CONTACT W/O NO DANGER OF STRIKING TERRAIN OR PNF WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION SOONER. CTLR STATEMENT, IF THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT, COUPLED WITH FACT IS UNUSUAL FOR APCH TO VECTOR ACFT FOR THIS RWY OVER INTO THE DAL AREA, HELPED GIVE CREW MISCONCEPTION. PNF HAD JUST TUNED FROM VOR TO ILS, SO HAD LOST DME READOUT. FEELS WITH ANY OTHER PIC THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AS THIS PIC TENDED TO GET BEHIND ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.