Narrative:

On a perfectly clear night into slc we were descending to 7000 ft MSL just passing 11000 ft and the captain said that he had the field in sight and to let approach know. After clearing us for the visual I realized that the captain had mistakenly seen the wrong field because we were still passing through 10000 ft MSL at 10 DME on the localizer to runway 16R. Realizing that he was much too high, the captain told me to ask the tower for a right 360 degree turn to reintercept final for runway 16R. Tower granted us the turn and with no flaps and full speed brake we started a right turn over the huge lake to the north of the field. With no visual reference at all and no lights until about 190 degrees of the turn was complete, the captain got way too low and I had to tell him that we were only 1200 ft above the ground (radar altimeter) and still 9 mi north. Tower asked us to check our altitude and I replied roger, we were arresting the descent rate. The landing went uneventful. However, I feel with the conditions surrounding no visual reference maneuvering, that delayed vectors with altitudes would be safer especially in such mountainous terrain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LGT INADVERTENTLY DSNDED BELOW MINIMUM SAFE ALT DURING DSCNT FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: ON A PERFECTLY CLR NIGHT INTO SLC WE WERE DSNDING TO 7000 FT MSL JUST PASSING 11000 FT AND THE CAPT SAID THAT HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND TO LET APCH KNOW. AFTER CLRING US FOR THE VISUAL I REALIZED THAT THE CAPT HAD MISTAKENLY SEEN THE WRONG FIELD BECAUSE WE WERE STILL PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT MSL AT 10 DME ON THE LOC TO RWY 16R. REALIZING THAT HE WAS MUCH TOO HIGH, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO ASK THE TWR FOR A R 360 DEG TURN TO REINTERCEPT FINAL FOR RWY 16R. TWR GRANTED US THE TURN AND WITH NO FLAPS AND FULL SPD BRAKE WE STARTED A R TURN OVER THE HUGE LAKE TO THE N OF THE FIELD. WITH NO VISUAL REF AT ALL AND NO LIGHTS UNTIL ABOUT 190 DEGS OF THE TURN WAS COMPLETE, THE CAPT GOT WAY TOO LOW AND I HAD TO TELL HIM THAT WE WERE ONLY 1200 FT ABOVE THE GND (RADAR ALTIMETER) AND STILL 9 MI N. TWR ASKED US TO CHK OUR ALT AND I REPLIED ROGER, WE WERE ARRESTING THE DSCNT RATE. THE LNDG WENT UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER, I FEEL WITH THE CONDITIONS SURROUNDING NO VISUAL REF MANEUVERING, THAT DELAYED VECTORS WITH ALTS WOULD BE SAFER ESPECIALLY IN SUCH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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.