Narrative:

I was cleared for visual approach to runway 15 and to maintain 3000 ft until turning final. As I descend to normal glide path for right turn into runway 15, I descended below 3000 ft slightly prior to turning final in order to stay on normal glide path. This caused a low altitude alert from controller to check our altitude immediately. We were well south of the mountain and in no danger of terrain but this lower altitude might have put us in some other air traffic area just prior to turning final. However, if I had stayed at 3000 ft I would have been too high to land. I should have stayed further north closer to the mountains but at night with marginal visibility this would not have been comfortable. Solution: don't try this visual approach with less than 10 mi visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEV EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT ON VISUAL APCH TO BUR AT NIGHT. MSAW ACTIVATED.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15 AND TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL TURNING FINAL. AS I DSND TO NORMAL GLIDE PATH FOR R TURN INTO RWY 15, I DSNDED BELOW 3000 FT SLIGHTLY PRIOR TO TURNING FINAL IN ORDER TO STAY ON NORMAL GLIDE PATH. THIS CAUSED A LOW ALT ALERT FROM CTLR TO CHK OUR ALT IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE WELL S OF THE MOUNTAIN AND IN NO DANGER OF TERRAIN BUT THIS LOWER ALT MIGHT HAVE PUT US IN SOME OTHER ATA JUST PRIOR TO TURNING FINAL. HOWEVER, IF I HAD STAYED AT 3000 FT I WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO HIGH TO LAND. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED FURTHER N CLOSER TO THE MOUNTAINS BUT AT NIGHT WITH MARGINAL VISIBILITY THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COMFORTABLE. SOLUTION: DON'T TRY THIS VISUAL APCH WITH LESS THAN 10 MI VISIBILITY.

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.