B737 first officer as pilot monitoring; reports the captain descending below the FAF altitude by 700...

Attributes
ACN	1208016
Time
Date	201410
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ATL.Airport
State Reference	GA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Final Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 175 Flight Crew Total 6720 Flight Crew Type 190
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Miss Distance	Vertical 700

Narrative:

Upon arrival into atl; we received a visual approach clearance after calling the airport 'in-sight'. We were level at 3000 ft intercepting final approximately 8-9 miles from the runway. I went heads down to the FMS to extend a centerline off the FAF and we both confirmed. Meanwhile; the captain started a descent visually using vertical speed and using outside references. When I finished with the FMS I noticed we were in a descent around 2100 MSL and that we were low. I queried the captain on his altitude; stating we were low. He corrected by clicking off the autopilot; and began a climb back up to the FAF altitude which was around 2700 ft MSL. As he began climbing ATC issued and altitude alert. We acknowledged ATC; continued climbing to a safe altitude; and continued safely to the runway. Since we had visual contact with the airport and all terrain; safety was never compromised.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 First Officer as pilot monitoring; reports the Captain descending below the FAF altitude by 700 feet before reaching it on a visual approach. ATC issues a low altitude alert at the same time the First Officer is pointing out the deviation to the Captain.

Narrative: Upon arrival into ATL; we received a visual approach clearance after calling the airport 'in-sight'. We were level at 3000 ft intercepting final approximately 8-9 miles from the runway. I went heads down to the FMS to extend a centerline off the FAF and we both confirmed. Meanwhile; the Captain started a descent visually using vertical speed and using outside references. When I finished with the FMS I noticed we were in a descent around 2100 MSL and that we were low. I queried the Captain on his altitude; stating we were low. He corrected by clicking off the autopilot; and began a climb back up to the FAF altitude which was around 2700 ft MSL. As he began climbing ATC issued and Altitude Alert. We acknowledged ATC; continued climbing to a safe altitude; and continued safely to the runway. Since we had visual contact with the airport and all terrain; safety was never compromised.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

B737 first officer as pilot monitoring; reports the captain descending below the FAF altitude by 700 feet before reaching it on a visual approach. ATC issues a low altitude alert at the same time the first officer is pointing out the deviation to the captain.