B737 flight crew has low altitude alert during an ILS to hou.

Attributes
ACN	579893
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	other
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 12r
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 9065 flight time type : 5065
ASRS Report	579893
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : msaw other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to original clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I (the first officer) was flying a visual approach to runway 12R at houston hobby. It was a night VFR pattern with hazy visibility. We were on a 90 degree right base at 4000 ft at approximately 12 mi when the controller began to turn us outbound to give us a little more room to intercept the localizer. We informed the controller that we should be able to fly a visual if we could get a turn toward the field. The controller gave a descent to 2000 ft and a turn inbound to intercept the localizer. I immediately began to configure the aircraft while in a descending right turn to final and the captain called the field in sight. I slightly overshot the localizer while looking for the field and the controller gave us a slight right turn to reintercept. I saw a reddish white light ahead which I thought was the VASI for runway 12L,but could not see the runway lights. The controller then asked us again if we had the field in sight and that he was getting a low altitude warning on our flight path. I immediately noticed that I was below the GS and quickly leveled off -- we were at 1000 ft and 4 mi from the airport. I then saw the runway lights and continued for an uneventful landing. Lessons learned: don't attempt to fly a visual approach unless I (the PF) has the field in sight. When looking for the field, keep the autoplt 'on' with altitude hold at the minimum vectoring altitude for the visual approach. Maintain the GS! I was so 'target fixated' on configuring the aircraft, looking for the field, and maintaining the localizer course, that I dropped the GS out of my xchk. To quote a safety article point, this situation was a 'red flag' of rising complexity and the facts would not support my plan. My mental picture or 'video' was not correct. I thought the reddish white light I saw was the runway 12L VASI and it was not. I should have concentrated on flying the ILS and let the captain look for the field instead of trying to do it all myself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW HAS LOW ALT ALERT DURING AN ILS TO HOU.

Narrative: I (THE FO) WAS FLYING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 12R AT HOUSTON HOBBY. IT WAS A NIGHT VFR PATTERN WITH HAZY VISIBILITY. WE WERE ON A 90 DEG R BASE AT 4000 FT AT APPROX 12 MI WHEN THE CTLR BEGAN TO TURN US OUTBOUND TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE ROOM TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. WE INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FLY A VISUAL IF WE COULD GET A TURN TOWARD THE FIELD. THE CTLR GAVE A DSCNT TO 2000 FT AND A TURN INBOUND TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT WHILE IN A DSNDING R TURN TO FINAL AND THE CAPT CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT THE LOC WHILE LOOKING FOR THE FIELD AND THE CTLR GAVE US A SLIGHT R TURN TO REINTERCEPT. I SAW A REDDISH WHITE LIGHT AHEAD WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE VASI FOR RWY 12L,BUT COULD NOT SEE THE RWY LIGHTS. THE CTLR THEN ASKED US AGAIN IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND THAT HE WAS GETTING A LOW ALT WARNING ON OUR FLT PATH. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT I WAS BELOW THE GS AND QUICKLY LEVELED OFF -- WE WERE AT 1000 FT AND 4 MI FROM THE ARPT. I THEN SAW THE RWY LIGHTS AND CONTINUED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. LESSONS LEARNED: DON'T ATTEMPT TO FLY A VISUAL APCH UNLESS I (THE PF) HAS THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WHEN LOOKING FOR THE FIELD, KEEP THE AUTOPLT 'ON' WITH ALT HOLD AT THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT FOR THE VISUAL APCH. MAINTAIN THE GS! I WAS SO 'TARGET FIXATED' ON CONFIGURING THE ACFT, LOOKING FOR THE FIELD, AND MAINTAINING THE LOC COURSE, THAT I DROPPED THE GS OUT OF MY XCHK. TO QUOTE A SAFETY ARTICLE POINT, THIS SIT WAS A 'RED FLAG' OF RISING COMPLEXITY AND THE FACTS WOULD NOT SUPPORT MY PLAN. MY MENTAL PICTURE OR 'VIDEO' WAS NOT CORRECT. I THOUGHT THE REDDISH WHITE LIGHT I SAW WAS THE RWY 12L VASI AND IT WAS NOT. I SHOULD HAVE CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE ILS AND LET THE CAPT LOOK FOR THE FIELD INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DO IT ALL MYSELF.

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.