Narrative:

ATIS reported 1500' scattered and 2500 broken clouds with 15 mi visibility. The captain briefed the full INS approach procedure and was well prepared for the approach. Because of the approach requirements and our equipment, we had to fly with the captain's navigation on the backcourse localizer and my navigation set to receive DME information. So, x-cockpit coordination was required to verify all the appropriate step-down altitudes. Inside the final approach fix we encountered a snow shower which reduced our visibility. During our descent to minimums, tower advised that approach was concerned about our altitude and wanted to know if we had the field in sight. We did not at that time. Soon after we did acquire the field and flew in at minimums until intercepting a visibility descent point. On the climb out 1 hour later, departure control asked us about the approach again with concerns abut our altitude. Summary: with the strong headwinds and a normal rate of non precision descent (1200 FPM), we were probably lower on the approach than normal for the questioned distances from the field. In hindsight, we could have used less descent due to strong winds, but there are no restrictions and our obstacle protection should still have been good. If approach control had not seen a non precision to that runway in awhile, our altitudes may have seemed different, but they are the ones published. I'm not a fan at al of x-turning on final to fly published approachs. Across our system it sure would be great to have ILS/DME facs on on frequency or to have aircraft equipment that was capable of deploying both DME's on both pilot panels. I don't believe this type of x-cockpit coordination was at fault in this incident, but it could have been and certainly decreases the level of safety of all approachs flown in this manner. Supplemental information from acn 171237: I leveled off and checked my DME to be between 3 and 3.5 DME and the airport was not in sight. A few seconds later, we passed through the snow shower, acquired the airport and landed. (Visibility was good once through the shower and 28 KT headwinds were reported.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTL THINKS ACFT TOO LOW AFTER PASSING FINAL APCH FIX INBOUND.

Narrative: ATIS RPTED 1500' SCATTERED AND 2500 BROKEN CLOUDS WITH 15 MI VISIBILITY. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE FULL INS APCH PROC AND WAS WELL PREPARED FOR THE APCH. BECAUSE OF THE APCH REQUIREMENTS AND OUR EQUIP, WE HAD TO FLY WITH THE CAPT'S NAV ON THE BACKCOURSE LOC AND MY NAV SET TO RECEIVE DME INFO. SO, X-COCKPIT COORD WAS REQUIRED TO VERIFY ALL THE APPROPRIATE STEP-DOWN ALTS. INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX WE ENCOUNTERED A SNOW SHOWER WHICH REDUCED OUR VISIBILITY. DURING OUR DSNT TO MINIMUMS, TWR ADVISED THAT APCH WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ALT AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE DID NOT AT THAT TIME. SOON AFTER WE DID ACQUIRE THE FIELD AND FLEW IN AT MINIMUMS UNTIL INTERCEPTING A VIS DSNT POINT. ON THE CLBOUT 1 HR LATER, DEP CTL ASKED US ABOUT THE APCH AGAIN WITH CONCERNS ABUT OUR ALT. SUMMARY: WITH THE STRONG HEADWINDS AND A NORMAL RATE OF NON PRECISION DSNT (1200 FPM), WE WERE PROBABLY LOWER ON THE APCH THAN NORMAL FOR THE QUESTIONED DISTANCES FROM THE FIELD. IN HINDSIGHT, WE COULD HAVE USED LESS DSNT DUE TO STRONG WINDS, BUT THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS AND OUR OBSTACLE PROTECTION SHOULD STILL HAVE BEEN GOOD. IF APCH CTL HAD NOT SEEN A NON PRECISION TO THAT RWY IN AWHILE, OUR ALTS MAY HAVE SEEMED DIFFERENT, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES PUBLISHED. I'M NOT A FAN AT AL OF X-TURNING ON FINAL TO FLY PUBLISHED APCHS. ACROSS OUR SYS IT SURE WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE ILS/DME FACS ON ON FREQ OR TO HAVE ACFT EQUIP THAT WAS CAPABLE OF DEPLOYING BOTH DME'S ON BOTH PLT PANELS. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF X-COCKPIT COORD WAS AT FAULT IN THIS INCIDENT, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN AND CERTAINLY DECREASES THE LEVEL OF SAFETY OF ALL APCHS FLOWN IN THIS MANNER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 171237: I LEVELED OFF AND CHKED MY DME TO BE BTWN 3 AND 3.5 DME AND THE ARPT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. A FEW SECS LATER, WE PASSED THROUGH THE SNOW SHOWER, ACQUIRED THE ARPT AND LANDED. (VISIBILITY WAS GOOD ONCE THROUGH THE SHOWER AND 28 KT HEADWINDS WERE RPTED.)

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.