Air carrier flight crew received a low altitude alert from ATC while on approach. Flight crew complied with alert and landed uneventfully.
Synopsis
Air carrier flight crew received a low altitude alert from ATC while on approach. Flight crew complied with alert and landed uneventfully.
Narrative
Event occurred while flying the GRNCH5 / BRICE transition into MCO for a Runway 36L arrival. Weather was VMC. The ATC Controller informed us to expect and plan for the RNAV (GPS) Runway 36L approach while on the GRNCH5. The RNAV 36L was correctly loaded into the FMS with LNAV and VNAV PATH active. Once we were past the last waypoint on the GRNCH5 (BRICE); the Controller began to give us short vectors to the final approach course and was late on providing descent altitudes. The base leg vector provided by the Controller put us inside the final approach fix (BERDY) and did not provide enough space for the approach to engage and for the aircraft to reach 1600 ft. MSL at BERDY as per the approach. The final approach course was not captured and autopilot was disengaged. I manually flew the aircraft on to the 36L final approach course. At this time; we received a 'low altitude warning' from the Controller. I leveled the aircraft out and transitioned to the 36L PAPI indicators for glideslope guidance. We were in a stable flight regime and did not require a go-around. The aircraft landed without further incident. I was expecting to fly the RNAV 36L with an extended left downwind leg that would lead to a left base turn to final with plenty of space to capture the final approach course and be at the correct approach altitudes prior to BERDY. I did not expect the short vectors that put us high and inside BERDY. Tell the Controller that we are unable to accept the short vector inside of BERDY and would like to fly the RNAV 36L as previously informed to plan for.
Second reporter narrative
Plan was a visual approach 36L. We had the RNAV 36L set up for guidance; it was night; good visibility and approximately 2500 overcast. ATC gave us radar vectors for the visual approach and descent to 1600 ft. ATC turned us inside the FAF and we picked up the airport then the runway. We lost the RNAV guidance but picked up the PAPI. The PAPI was all red lights; at the same time Tower advised us of a low altitude alert; we were already climbing up to get back on the PAPI. The First Officer (FO) returned the aircraft to two white and two red on the PAPI and we landed uneventfully. We should have requested the full approach or at least a turn into the airport outside the FAF but were expecting to pick up the airport sooner than we did. ATC should not have turned us in so tight. We should have requested the full approach or done a go-around and started it again.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.