Air Carrier flight crew reported receiving a low altitude alert from tower during visual approach while in the process of correcting to glidepath.
Synopsis
Air Carrier flight crew reported receiving a low altitude alert from tower during visual approach while in the process of correcting to glidepath.
Narrative
Long flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1; dropped into a very busy approach sector. Weather was 1800 overcast; and the RNAV to [Runway] XXL was programmed in the box. The brief was to be below the weather at the FAF; and do the visual backed up by the RNAV. Tailwind from the west for descent. It was a very busy sector and the Controller overshot us to the east on final and gave us a 330 vector to get back to final. Once on final; the Tower had said we would break out at 600 ft; which I could see as a scattered deck. I reset the minimums before the FAF and started down. When I broke out of all the clouds; I could see I was low on [the] glidepath; and I leveled off to intercept the glidepath and landed. Tower gave us a check altitude call; as I was in the process of correcting.What I should have done; was to realize how task saturated that segment of the approach was; realize I was not properly set up for the RNAV approach and executed a go-around and get set up properly. With all of the vectors and speed changes; it was unrealistic to fly the full RNAV approach. We were only going to get the final approach section. I was using Level Change to manage the descent with the tailwind. VNAV would have worked much better to adapt to changing conditions.
Second reporter narrative
ZZZ to ZZZ1. Briefed 'Visual to [Runway] XXL; back up with RNAV'. Radio very congested and descent tailwind resulted in late and slightly high turn to final for RNAV. Cleared for approach. Tower said 'cleared to land; should breakout at 600 feet' and we reset bugs to DA and noted Missed Approach procedure in the FMC. As Pilot Monitoring; I responded to FAF callout 'ZZZZZ 1600'; and we started down to DA. We broke out of the clouds and could see we were low on the VASI glidepath. I stated this just prior to ZZZ1 Tower making a 'check altitude' call and the First Officer was already making a correction. We resumed normal glidepath and the remainder of the flight was uneventful.As Pilot Monitoring; I was distracted by the unexpected low ceiling and did a poor job verifying proper mode selection and monitoring expected descent rate. I should have directed a go-around; at the realization that we were in Level Change and not VNAV.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.