Narrative:

Crew was tired from previous night. Approach cleared us for the 22L VOR DME approach into ewr. We had ground contact because the clouds were scattered. My captain called, for gear down final check at the VOR which gear comes down final check at the VOR which gear comes down at the final fix, this puzzled me why he made the call. So, as I was completing the final check and talking to ATC, the captain descended below the final approach fix altitude which was 5 mi from the airport and fix altitude 1800'. He descended down to 1400' about 1/2 mi from the fix. ATC advised us a low alert and gave us a new altimeter setting. Looking at the approach plate I advised the captain of what altitude he should be at. The tower told us to circle to land on runway 29. We completed the approach and landed. As we parked the aircraft I talked to the captain to find out why he did this. He told me he thought we were cleared for a visibility approach since the WX was 10 overcast, 8 mi visibility. My captain is inexperienced in this aircraft and has never been a captain. So, this is why I figured why he screwed up the profile for shooting a non-precision approach. This is turn confused me on his calls for flaps and gear compounded with communications with ATC is why I didn't catch him descending below prescribed altitude until ATC advised us. Being rush hour at ewr the controllers were very busy and were talking very fast. It was hard to hear the fall clearance. Compounded with a tired crew and a new captain is why I think this happened. Also the WX being VFR and we saw the airport at 7 1/2 mi out is why I think the captain thought we were cleared for a visibility approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MDT FREIGHTER ON VOR APCH TO EWR DESCENDED BELOW CHART MINIMUMS. MSAW ACTIVATED. CTLR INTERVENED.

Narrative: CREW WAS TIRED FROM PREVIOUS NIGHT. APCH CLRED US FOR THE 22L VOR DME APCH INTO EWR. WE HAD GND CONTACT BECAUSE THE CLOUDS WERE SCATTERED. MY CAPT CALLED, FOR GEAR DOWN FINAL CHK AT THE VOR WHICH GEAR COMES DOWN FINAL CHK AT THE VOR WHICH GEAR COMES DOWN AT THE FINAL FIX, THIS PUZZLED ME WHY HE MADE THE CALL. SO, AS I WAS COMPLETING THE FINAL CHK AND TALKING TO ATC, THE CAPT DSNDED BELOW THE FINAL APCH FIX ALT WHICH WAS 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AND FIX ALT 1800'. HE DSNDED DOWN TO 1400' ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE FIX. ATC ADVISED US A LOW ALERT AND GAVE US A NEW ALTIMETER SETTING. LOOKING AT THE APCH PLATE I ADVISED THE CAPT OF WHAT ALT HE SHOULD BE AT. THE TWR TOLD US TO CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 29. WE COMPLETED THE APCH AND LANDED. AS WE PARKED THE ACFT I TALKED TO THE CAPT TO FIND OUT WHY HE DID THIS. HE TOLD ME HE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH SINCE THE WX WAS 10 OVCST, 8 MI VISIBILITY. MY CAPT IS INEXPERIENCED IN THIS ACFT AND HAS NEVER BEEN A CAPT. SO, THIS IS WHY I FIGURED WHY HE SCREWED UP THE PROFILE FOR SHOOTING A NON-PRECISION APCH. THIS IS TURN CONFUSED ME ON HIS CALLS FOR FLAPS AND GEAR COMPOUNDED WITH COMS WITH ATC IS WHY I DIDN'T CATCH HIM DSNDING BELOW PRESCRIBED ALT UNTIL ATC ADVISED US. BEING RUSH HR AT EWR THE CTLRS WERE VERY BUSY AND WERE TALKING VERY FAST. IT WAS HARD TO HEAR THE FALL CLRNC. COMPOUNDED WITH A TIRED CREW AND A NEW CAPT IS WHY I THINK THIS HAPPENED. ALSO THE WX BEING VFR AND WE SAW THE ARPT AT 7 1/2 MI OUT IS WHY I THINK THE CAPT THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH.

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.