Narrative:

We were returning from ZZZ with me acting as first officer; flying the airplane. This was only my 8TH flight in this airplane. We started requesting lower altitude from far enough out that we would have had a 3 degree glide path to the airport. Because of conflicting traffic; we were not allowed to descend until nearly over the airport. We were still in the mid teens; so we requested a turn to the north so we could lose altitude for the visual approach to runway 20. The visibility was about 4 mi; ceiling good; with thunderstorms just south of the airport. After turning back to the airport; we had the field in sight probably mi out. The airport had been having trouble with the pilot controled lighting and the captain was having trouble getting them on. Because of the thunderstorms south of the field; I decided to do a 360 degree turn to put myself in position to land. Since I thought the captain had obtained a visual approach from center; I started a slight descent. I was at about 1400 ft MSL (1000 ft AGL) when center announced a low altitude alert. At this point the captain canceled IFR and we landed without incident. Looking back; I could see many links in the accident chain. My inexperience in this airplane; flying with different people; the late descent; marginal visibility; malfunctioning runway lights; WX to the south of the field; a long duty day; night visual approach in marginal conditions; and lack of communications between center and flight crew could have resulted in a bad outcome. If I had it to do over; I would have requested a clearance to one of the IAF's north of the airport for the GPS 20 approach and then taken a turn or two in the holding pattern to lose altitude. This would have made the whole process fairly uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C650 FLT CREW DESCENDED FOR APCH WITHOUT OBTAINING CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING FROM ZZZ WITH ME ACTING AS FO; FLYING THE AIRPLANE. THIS WAS ONLY MY 8TH FLT IN THIS AIRPLANE. WE STARTED REQUESTING LOWER ALT FROM FAR ENOUGH OUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD A 3 DEG GLIDE PATH TO THE ARPT. BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC; WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DSND UNTIL NEARLY OVER THE ARPT. WE WERE STILL IN THE MID TEENS; SO WE REQUESTED A TURN TO THE N SO WE COULD LOSE ALT FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20. THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 4 MI; CEILING GOOD; WITH TSTMS JUST S OF THE ARPT. AFTER TURNING BACK TO THE ARPT; WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT PROBABLY MI OUT. THE ARPT HAD BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING AND THE CAPT WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THEM ON. BECAUSE OF THE TSTMS S OF THE FIELD; I DECIDED TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO PUT MYSELF IN POS TO LAND. SINCE I THOUGHT THE CAPT HAD OBTAINED A VISUAL APCH FROM CTR; I STARTED A SLIGHT DSCNT. I WAS AT ABOUT 1400 FT MSL (1000 FT AGL) WHEN CTR ANNOUNCED A LOW ALT ALERT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT CANCELED IFR AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. LOOKING BACK; I COULD SEE MANY LINKS IN THE ACCIDENT CHAIN. MY INEXPERIENCE IN THIS AIRPLANE; FLYING WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE; THE LATE DSCNT; MARGINAL VISIBILITY; MALFUNCTIONING RWY LIGHTS; WX TO THE S OF THE FIELD; A LONG DUTY DAY; NIGHT VISUAL APCH IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS; AND LACK OF COMS BTWN CTR AND FLT CREW COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A BAD OUTCOME. IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER; I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED A CLRNC TO ONE OF THE IAF'S N OF THE ARPT FOR THE GPS 20 APCH AND THEN TAKEN A TURN OR TWO IN THE HOLDING PATTERN TO LOSE ALT. THIS WOULD HAVE MADE THE WHOLE PROCESS FAIRLY UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.