MD80 crew is cleared for an ILS approach to runway 4 at lga, circle to land runway 31. First officer...

Attributes
ACN	408630
Time
Date	199807
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	408630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Flew ILS runway 4, circle land runway 31. Briefed and flew ground track for expressway visual runway 31. Were also forced to follow ground track expressway visual runway 31 to follow air carrier ahead. Used expressway visual runway 31 for circle portion of approach. Normal expressway visual runway 31 that we fly often starts at tanks at 2500 ft and is a low power descent all the way to landing. ILS runway 4 had us in the vicinity of the tanks at 1400 ft. First officer, me, flew approach and began circle at low power and fully configured for landing. Accustomed to low power descent along expressway, watching traffic ahead, and trying to keep lga in sight we went below 1000 ft along the expressway. Captain noted altitude and called for climb back to 1000 ft. High power setting in landing confign may have set off noise monitors near lga. We should have considered the differences between a charted visual and a circling approach. Especially maneuver altitude and descent profile differences, especially at night. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew reported WX to be 2000 ft overcast, visibility 4 mi. Company minimums for circling approach are 1000 ft or charted minimums, which ever is higher. Pilot felt lga was jamming approach in and forcing an 'expressway visual' to be flown when below minimums for that approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW IS CLRED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 4 AT LGA, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 31. FO WAS REQUIRED TO ADD THRUST TO OVERCOME A NORMAL LOW ALT XING AT THE OM.

Narrative: FLEW ILS RWY 4, CIRCLE LAND RWY 31. BRIEFED AND FLEW GND TRACK FOR EXPRESSWAY VISUAL RWY 31. WERE ALSO FORCED TO FOLLOW GND TRACK EXPRESSWAY VISUAL RWY 31 TO FOLLOW ACR AHEAD. USED EXPRESSWAY VISUAL RWY 31 FOR CIRCLE PORTION OF APCH. NORMAL EXPRESSWAY VISUAL RWY 31 THAT WE FLY OFTEN STARTS AT TANKS AT 2500 FT AND IS A LOW PWR DSCNT ALL THE WAY TO LNDG. ILS RWY 4 HAD US IN THE VICINITY OF THE TANKS AT 1400 FT. FO, ME, FLEW APCH AND BEGAN CIRCLE AT LOW PWR AND FULLY CONFIGURED FOR LNDG. ACCUSTOMED TO LOW PWR DSCNT ALONG EXPRESSWAY, WATCHING TFC AHEAD, AND TRYING TO KEEP LGA IN SIGHT WE WENT BELOW 1000 FT ALONG THE EXPRESSWAY. CAPT NOTED ALT AND CALLED FOR CLB BACK TO 1000 FT. HIGH PWR SETTING IN LNDG CONFIGN MAY HAVE SET OFF NOISE MONITORS NEAR LGA. WE SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THE DIFFERENCES BTWN A CHARTED VISUAL AND A CIRCLING APCH. ESPECIALLY MANEUVER ALT AND DSCNT PROFILE DIFFERENCES, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW RPTED WX TO BE 2000 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 4 MI. COMPANY MINIMUMS FOR CIRCLING APCH ARE 1000 FT OR CHARTED MINIMUMS, WHICH EVER IS HIGHER. PLT FELT LGA WAS JAMMING APCH IN AND FORCING AN 'EXPRESSWAY VISUAL' TO BE FLOWN WHEN BELOW MINIMUMS FOR THAT APCH.

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.

MD80 crew is cleared for an ILS approach to runway 4 at lga, circle to land runway 31. First officer was required to add thrust to overcome a normal low altitude crossing at the OM.