Narrative:

The captain was flying at the end of a long day. We spotted pvd airport and were cleared for a visual approach. The captain entered a right downwind for runway 23. Tower cleared us to land on runway 23. The captain noted a 20 KT crosswind at pattern altitude so he corrected to give us enough room for our base turn. As the captain turned base he turned somewhat steeper than normal and began to descend rapidly. I called this to his attention as we passed through about 800 ft AGL. We had the airport and beacon in sight, but were now having a hard time making out the runway lights for runway 23, due to our low altitude. We were now headed for the airport but well west of runway 23. The tower came on the radio and asked if we 'had runway 23 in sight?' I could now see the lights and replied 'yes.' I then alerted the captain that we were at 500 ft AGL and told him to turn left 90 degrees to line up with the runway off to our left. The captain made a tight right base turn to final and landed uneventfully. The tower said nothing else about our strange approach and low altitude over the city while we were trying to make out the runway. Fatigue definitely contributed to this bad approach. We had been flying most of the day. Also we were at a strange airport and at night. We had the ILS tuned, but the captain did not use it for his base and turn to final. He used the GS, but well before he intercepted the localizer. This resulted in our premature descent to a low altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FA50 EXPEDITES DSCNT AND TURNS DURING VISUAL APCH TO PVD AND LOSSES SIGHT OF ARPT.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING AT THE END OF A LONG DAY. WE SPOTTED PVD ARPT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE CAPT ENTERED A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23. TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 23. THE CAPT NOTED A 20 KT XWIND AT PATTERN ALT SO HE CORRECTED TO GIVE US ENOUGH ROOM FOR OUR BASE TURN. AS THE CAPT TURNED BASE HE TURNED SOMEWHAT STEEPER THAN NORMAL AND BEGAN TO DSND RAPIDLY. I CALLED THIS TO HIS ATTN AS WE PASSED THROUGH ABOUT 800 FT AGL. WE HAD THE ARPT AND BEACON IN SIGHT, BUT WERE NOW HAVING A HARD TIME MAKING OUT THE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 23, DUE TO OUR LOW ALT. WE WERE NOW HEADED FOR THE ARPT BUT WELL W OF RWY 23. THE TWR CAME ON THE RADIO AND ASKED IF WE 'HAD RWY 23 IN SIGHT?' I COULD NOW SEE THE LIGHTS AND REPLIED 'YES.' I THEN ALERTED THE CAPT THAT WE WERE AT 500 FT AGL AND TOLD HIM TO TURN L 90 DEGS TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY OFF TO OUR L. THE CAPT MADE A TIGHT R BASE TURN TO FINAL AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE TWR SAID NOTHING ELSE ABOUT OUR STRANGE APCH AND LOW ALT OVER THE CITY WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE OUT THE RWY. FATIGUE DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS BAD APCH. WE HAD BEEN FLYING MOST OF THE DAY. ALSO WE WERE AT A STRANGE ARPT AND AT NIGHT. WE HAD THE ILS TUNED, BUT THE CAPT DID NOT USE IT FOR HIS BASE AND TURN TO FINAL. HE USED THE GS, BUT WELL BEFORE HE INTERCEPTED THE LOC. THIS RESULTED IN OUR PREMATURE DSCNT TO A LOW ALT.

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.