Narrative:

We were cleared the visual approach to runway 12R at sjc airport. There was a cloud deck just along the shore line just north of the airport and I wanted to get below it to maintain visual contact with the field. We looked a bit high while on base, so I used a higher than normal rate of descent to accomplish the above items. When we rolled out on final, we were approximately 2 dots low, but within approach parameters. We then received a low altitude alert warning from the tower asking us to check our altitude. We notified them that we were aware of our position and correcting towards the GS. I was surprised, but in retrospect glad that the system has a doublechk on our flight profile. I was not aware that the ATC system was able to make this observation and though my approach was outside of a normal 3:1 profile, this was an eye opener to me that the tolerances for approachs has changed over the yrs -- for the better I might add. In my self critique, I probably should have added a few extra mins and requested an ILS approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 CREW LNDG SJC DSNDED LOWER THAN NORMAL ON THE FINAL TO REMAIN VISUAL WITH ARPT AND RECEIVED A LOW ALT ALERT FROM THE CTLR.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 12R AT SJC ARPT. THERE WAS A CLOUD DECK JUST ALONG THE SHORE LINE JUST N OF THE ARPT AND I WANTED TO GET BELOW IT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FIELD. WE LOOKED A BIT HIGH WHILE ON BASE, SO I USED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE OF DSCNT TO ACCOMPLISH THE ABOVE ITEMS. WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL, WE WERE APPROX 2 DOTS LOW, BUT WITHIN APCH PARAMETERS. WE THEN RECEIVED A LOW ALT ALERT WARNING FROM THE TWR ASKING US TO CHK OUR ALT. WE NOTIFIED THEM THAT WE WERE AWARE OF OUR POS AND CORRECTING TOWARDS THE GS. I WAS SURPRISED, BUT IN RETROSPECT GLAD THAT THE SYS HAS A DOUBLECHK ON OUR FLT PROFILE. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE ATC SYS WAS ABLE TO MAKE THIS OBSERVATION AND THOUGH MY APCH WAS OUTSIDE OF A NORMAL 3:1 PROFILE, THIS WAS AN EYE OPENER TO ME THAT THE TOLERANCES FOR APCHS HAS CHANGED OVER THE YRS -- FOR THE BETTER I MIGHT ADD. IN MY SELF CRITIQUE, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ADDED A FEW EXTRA MINS AND REQUESTED AN ILS 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.