Air carrier First Officer reported becoming aware during a night visual approach to PGD that their altitude and airspeed were too low. Appropriate action was taken to assure safety of flight; and a safe landing ensued.

Date: 2024-12 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-speed-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-unstabilized-approach|inflight-event-encounter-cftt-cfit

Synopsis

Air carrier First Officer reported becoming aware during a night visual approach to PGD that their altitude and airspeed were too low. Appropriate action was taken to assure safety of flight; and a safe landing ensued.

Narrative

Approaching PGD VMC conditions at night after Tower closure from the north along the LUBBR arrival; I was assigned direct to CISTS to setup for the visual for rwy 04. I had the airport in sight and PM advised Approach around 10-8 NM from PGD and we were cleared for the visual. Initially I began to widen out to more of a downwind and attempt to turn a perpendicular base to CISTS and continued a descent to 1;600 ft. I believe my error at this point was that I was equating similar night experience at PIE airport with this shorter approach and I became too disoriented trying to keep the airport in sight over my shoulder along with navigating to an unfamiliar approach fix. I asked PM to re-enter direct CISTS to join the approach and my initial thought was that we would be too high at 1;600 feet. I continued a descent first selecting 1;000 and open descent as we began to turn onto the final approach path.PM appropriately spoke up being more familiar with the area saying he felt too low. My initial attempt to level off I believe I tried to scroll in the next 100 ft altitude and pull but I don't know the actual altitude that I entered. We then received a low energy 'speed speed' caution. I decided to transition fully to visual and disconnected autopilot and requested FD off and bird on. Once we were leveled with Autothrust on speed we were at 1;000 ft and below GS with an aural glide slope caution until re intercepting an on glide path condition. From there I continued to a normal landing. I believe given this was my second approach to PGD at night in the last year; a more complete straight in approach would have been better in assisting me to gain familiarity. Operating at an uncontrolled field and wanting to make a visual approach despite my lack of recent experience contributed to this undesired aircraft state. Lastly I feel some fatigue was at play as well.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.