A flight crew descended below the charted altitude on a Charted Visual Approach and received a Low Altitude Alert from ATC.
Synopsis
A flight crew descended below the charted altitude on a Charted Visual Approach and received a Low Altitude Alert from ATC.
Narrative
On approach to runway XX ZZZ. FO told them that he was transferring to ZZZ and has not had a lot of experience in ZZZ and asked to fly the flight. I agreed as I was based here and flown this approach many times and would help him with it. But had not been up in ZZZ for a few years and not flown the River Visual XX in a long time. Before Top of Descent we briefed the arrival and approach in a lot of detail and helped him with the visual clues and locations on the approach; Bridges; ZZZ1 and where to turn final. Approach left us high and fast on downwind; and tuned us close to the start of the visual approach on the highway bridge over the River. We were getting behind the plane and I told FO to hand fly the approach so I could set up the V-Nav and not have the V-Nav/Autopilot level us off. FO called for 'Gear down; flaps 45' and I just selected the gear down and flaps; without looking at the speed and that's when the FO thought we deployed the flaps 5 knots fast. I did not see the speed and when I did we were already below the flap speed. We did not get a flap 'clacker'. We were descending and finishing the configuration; as I looked out the window and felt that we were low. The flight director was showing us on path. At the same time we got the '1;000 feet' GPWS call out and I saw we were 1;000' low over the fix we were over. FO stopped the descent; and leveled off. All happening at the same time; ZZZ Tower told us he had a low altitude alert and I called the go-around; as trying to 'save the approach' was not a good idea. We went around and the FO and I agreed that it be best for me to fly the approach. We came around for 4th second approach and successfully landed. We were task saturated; and I was trying to mentor/teach the FO the River Visual XX; which added to my task load. I thought having the FO fly would make it easier; but actually me flying and telling the FO what I am doing verse the FO flying and telling them what to do was not a good idea.Try to not get behind the plane; and ask ATC for lower altitude sooner or start slowing instead of being 250kts abeam the airport and descending. I was not expecting to be number 1 to the airport; as I thought I saw on TCAS a plane to the north and we were to follow that plane and be number 2 for the approach. Also for selecting flaps; I need to make sure that I look at the speed before moving the flap handle.
Second reporter narrative
During approach on the River Visual to Runway XX; we broke 1000 feet AFL while in the descent over the river. We began well before the arrival thoroughly briefing the arrival and approach. The CA had slightly more experience with ZZZ and I as the FO had very little and had never done the River Visual Rwy XX. The set up and arrival were uneventful and we had briefed that I should follow the altitude guidance on the PFD (Primary Flight Display) as we should be in VNAV Path. As we began the approach we set the altitude to 900 feet for guidance. After crossing ZZZZZ; we noticed we were much lower and still descending. I announced I was confused as to why we were so low as we were descending through 1100 feet. At 1000 feet; the CA and I both were feeling task saturation and the CA immediately told me to arrest the descent and that we were too low. I arrested the descent and ATC informed us we were too low at the same time we immediately called for and executed a Go-Around. We informed ATC we were going around and they gave us vectors to the west in order to set up for another approach. We both then realized we were not in VNAV Path and believe that is why the altitude guidance was telling us to keep descending.Task saturation and lack of understanding of altitudes on the River Visual XX to ZZZ. Even though we thoroughly briefed the arrival and approach; we still became task saturated and confused as to why we were descending. We should definitely set hard altitudes in the FMC for each point in order to assist with altitude guidance. Also; I as PF should have been more outside in my scan and recognized that I was too low.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.