Narrative:

Enroute we saw that kennedy was running VOR visual to 13L. I was flying pilot. I have limited experience with this procedure and the first officer (first officer) was not new york based so we took our time briefing and we discussed how I was going to fly the approach down to every detail---where I would be configured; when we would lose VNAV guidance; use of vertical guidance on the flight director for additional situational awareness; appropriate descent rate for the runway; attention all users page; effect of the wind on my intercept to final and more. The approach was stable throughout. The aircraft was configured well before 1;000 ft AGL. I was hand flying and as I began the turn to final and the VASI started becoming visible I realized I was slightly low. I made the necessary changes to my descent rate while maintaining a stable approach. Just as I completed my corrections ATC informed us that he had a low altitude alert on us. We acknowledged the transmission and I determined that at this point we were corrected; still stable; and in a position for a normal landing. I continued and landed without incident. In retrospect I am dismayed that we just didn't request the RNAV rnp 13L and I would have had vertical and lateral guidance through the turn to final and lower in the descent. With all our briefing and discussing and fixating on the visual approach I didn't investigate other options. I will not make that mistake again. I also believe that we become so dependent on instrument approach guidance to the detriment of visual flight skills making an approach like this one even more challenging.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Flight crew of large turbojet reported ATC issued a low altitude alert during a visual approach to 13L at JFK.

Narrative: Enroute we saw that Kennedy was running VOR visual to 13L. I was flying pilot. I have limited experience with this procedure and the First Officer (FO) was not New York based so we took our time briefing and we discussed how I was going to fly the approach down to every detail---where I would be configured; when we would lose VNAV guidance; use of vertical guidance on the flight director for additional situational awareness; appropriate descent rate for the runway; attention all users page; effect of the wind on my intercept to final and more. The approach was stable throughout. The aircraft was configured well before 1;000 ft AGL. I was hand flying and as I began the turn to final and the VASI started becoming visible I realized I was slightly low. I made the necessary changes to my descent rate while maintaining a stable approach. Just as I completed my corrections ATC informed us that he had a low altitude alert on us. We acknowledged the transmission and I determined that at this point we were corrected; still stable; and in a position for a normal landing. I continued and landed without incident. In retrospect I am dismayed that we just didn't request the RNAV RNP 13L and I would have had vertical and lateral guidance through the turn to final and lower in the descent. With all our briefing and discussing and fixating on the visual approach I didn't investigate other options. I will not make that mistake again. I also believe that we become so dependent on instrument approach guidance to the detriment of visual flight skills making an approach like this one even more challenging.

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.