Narrative:

I was in command of flight making an approach to landing on runway 18L at charlotte/douglas international airport. Visibility was restr to 20 mi due to rain and low clouds and there was light to moderate turbulence on final. The first officer was flying and I had swakk intersection set up on fml VOR (0.26.5). We were at 3600' approaching swakk when the tower informed the aircraft ahead of us to speed up or he might have to go around. At swakk the first officer started a descent, I thought he was going to 3000' for hurrs and at that time I asked the tower if we should slow down for the aircraft ahead of us. As we were discussing what speed, the tower controller said to check our altimeter setting as we had triggered his low altitude alert and I saw the first officer had descended below 3000' just prior to hurrs. I had him pull up to 3000' to hurrs and we made a normal approach from there. I feel the first officer must not have understood the approach briefing, although he claimed he saw the hurrs beacon flash. This was possible because I had the marker sensitivity on high and we were in turbulence. In any case I should not have let my monitoring procedure be distraction. This can be a tricky approach due to lack of G/south and the fact the initial fix is located on a VOR totally unrelated to the charlotte airport. A DME fix off the clt VOR would be better and/or an ILS DME would enhance safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO FLYING AN MLG ON A VOR-DME APCH TO CLT DESCENDED BELOW PROFILE, TRIGGERED OFF LOW ALT ALARM IN TRACON.

Narrative: I WAS IN COMMAND OF FLT MAKING AN APCH TO LNDG ON RWY 18L AT CHARLOTTE/DOUGLAS INTL ARPT. VISIBILITY WAS RESTR TO 20 MI DUE TO RAIN AND LOW CLOUDS AND THERE WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB ON FINAL. THE F/O WAS FLYING AND I HAD SWAKK INTXN SET UP ON FML VOR (0.26.5). WE WERE AT 3600' APCHING SWAKK WHEN THE TWR INFORMED THE ACFT AHEAD OF US TO SPD UP OR HE MIGHT HAVE TO GO AROUND. AT SWAKK THE F/O STARTED A DSNT, I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO 3000' FOR HURRS AND AT THAT TIME I ASKED THE TWR IF WE SHOULD SLOW DOWN FOR THE ACFT AHEAD OF US. AS WE WERE DISCUSSING WHAT SPD, THE TWR CTLR SAID TO CHK OUR ALTIMETER SETTING AS WE HAD TRIGGERED HIS LOW ALT ALERT AND I SAW THE F/O HAD DSNDED BELOW 3000' JUST PRIOR TO HURRS. I HAD HIM PULL UP TO 3000' TO HURRS AND WE MADE A NORMAL APCH FROM THERE. I FEEL THE F/O MUST NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE APCH BRIEFING, ALTHOUGH HE CLAIMED HE SAW THE HURRS BEACON FLASH. THIS WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I HAD THE MARKER SENSITIVITY ON HIGH AND WE WERE IN TURB. IN ANY CASE I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET MY MONITORING PROC BE DISTR. THIS CAN BE A TRICKY APCH DUE TO LACK OF G/S AND THE FACT THE INITIAL FIX IS LOCATED ON A VOR TOTALLY UNRELATED TO THE CHARLOTTE ARPT. A DME FIX OFF THE CLT VOR WOULD BE BETTER AND/OR AN ILS DME WOULD ENHANCE SAFETY.

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