Narrative:

Flight from ymx to mem. We were on the middy 1 arrival for mem coming in from bwg. We were leveling at 10000 ft MSL and about 6 mi from middy when we were told to contact mem approach control. Approach control deleted the 250 KT crossing restr at middy and requested we keep the speed up since there was no traffic ahead. About 25 mi from mem we were cleared from 10000 ft to 4000 ft. We had to slow from around 330 KTS to 250 KTS below 10000 ft for the descent and started down about 20 mi from the airport. We were high already and used the speed brakes to help with the descent. Mem approach was vectoring us for an ILS approach to runway 27. We broke out from the overcast around 7000 ft and had good ground contact but forward visibility was poor because of rain showers. Approach cleared us down to 3000 ft MSL, then down further to 2000 ft MSL. All the altitudes were read back confirmed by the PF and set on the altitude alerter. We were still too high and around 3000-4000 ft dropped the landing gear. Approach gave us an intercept heading for the ILS, cleared us for the approach, and told us to maintain 2000 ft until GS intercept. We were rushing to configure the airplane for landing and read the required checklists and all 3 of us in the cockpit were looking outside the aircraft to find the runway. The reported visibility was good but the rain droplets were refracting the city lights on the window making the runway hard to pick out. The windshield wipers helped, but not much. The aircraft was stabilized on the approach and the runway in sight. Just when we realized we were below the GS intercept altitude of 2000 ft, mem approach control called and said they had received a low altitude alert on us. We were around 1550 ft MSL. We corrected to get on the GS and landed uneventfully. In an effort to comply with ATC's wish to keep the speed up, we wound up too high and fast on the approach and had to rush to configure the aircraft for landing and expedite our descent. This in itself is not a problem but because of the rain and poor forward visibility, crew coordination broke down and we were all looking outside with no one monitoring the altitude. Having to do it again, I would have slowed the aircraft down earlier, started the descent sooner, and had a more stabilized approach. When we first received the ATIS the WX did not seem to be a big factor but in fact it was. Also, the altitude alerter should have sounded at around 1600-1700 ft and no one recalled hearing it go off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 727 FLC DSNDS BELOW GS INTERCEPT ALT.

Narrative: FLT FROM YMX TO MEM. WE WERE ON THE MIDDY 1 ARR FOR MEM COMING IN FROM BWG. WE WERE LEVELING AT 10000 FT MSL AND ABOUT 6 MI FROM MIDDY WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT MEM APCH CTL. APCH CTL DELETED THE 250 KT XING RESTR AT MIDDY AND REQUESTED WE KEEP THE SPD UP SINCE THERE WAS NO TFC AHEAD. ABOUT 25 MI FROM MEM WE WERE CLRED FROM 10000 FT TO 4000 FT. WE HAD TO SLOW FROM AROUND 330 KTS TO 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT FOR THE DSCNT AND STARTED DOWN ABOUT 20 MI FROM THE ARPT. WE WERE HIGH ALREADY AND USED THE SPD BRAKES TO HELP WITH THE DSCNT. MEM APCH WAS VECTORING US FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 27. WE BROKE OUT FROM THE OVCST AROUND 7000 FT AND HAD GOOD GND CONTACT BUT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS POOR BECAUSE OF RAIN SHOWERS. APCH CLRED US DOWN TO 3000 FT MSL, THEN DOWN FURTHER TO 2000 FT MSL. ALL THE ALTS WERE READ BACK CONFIRMED BY THE PF AND SET ON THE ALT ALERTER. WE WERE STILL TOO HIGH AND AROUND 3000-4000 FT DROPPED THE LNDG GEAR. APCH GAVE US AN INTERCEPT HDG FOR THE ILS, CLRED US FOR THE APCH, AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL GS INTERCEPT. WE WERE RUSHING TO CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR LNDG AND READ THE REQUIRED CHKLISTS AND ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE THE ACFT TO FIND THE RWY. THE RPTED VISIBILITY WAS GOOD BUT THE RAIN DROPLETS WERE REFRACTING THE CITY LIGHTS ON THE WINDOW MAKING THE RWY HARD TO PICK OUT. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HELPED, BUT NOT MUCH. THE ACFT WAS STABILIZED ON THE APCH AND THE RWY IN SIGHT. JUST WHEN WE REALIZED WE WERE BELOW THE GS INTERCEPT ALT OF 2000 FT, MEM APCH CTL CALLED AND SAID THEY HAD RECEIVED A LOW ALT ALERT ON US. WE WERE AROUND 1550 FT MSL. WE CORRECTED TO GET ON THE GS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IN AN EFFORT TO COMPLY WITH ATC'S WISH TO KEEP THE SPD UP, WE WOUND UP TOO HIGH AND FAST ON THE APCH AND HAD TO RUSH TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG AND EXPEDITE OUR DSCNT. THIS IN ITSELF IS NOT A PROB BUT BECAUSE OF THE RAIN AND POOR FORWARD VISIBILITY, CREW COORD BROKE DOWN AND WE WERE ALL LOOKING OUTSIDE WITH NO ONE MONITORING THE ALT. HAVING TO DO IT AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE SLOWED THE ACFT DOWN EARLIER, STARTED THE DSCNT SOONER, AND HAD A MORE STABILIZED APCH. WHEN WE FIRST RECEIVED THE ATIS THE WX DID NOT SEEM TO BE A BIG FACTOR BUT IN FACT IT WAS. ALSO, THE ALT ALERTER SHOULD HAVE SOUNDED AT AROUND 1600-1700 FT AND NO ONE RECALLED HEARING IT GO OFF.

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.