B727 CREW DSNDS TOWARD TERRAIN ON FALSE GS ON VISUAL APCH TO SAT.

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APCHING SAT FROM THE N; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 12R. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. AT ABOUT 6 MI FROM THE ARPT; THE PNF (CAPT) SET THE LOC FREQ FOR RWY 12R ON #1 VOR/ILS AND IDENTED THE STATION; THEN REACHED FORWARD TO TUNE THE ADF FREQ. THE PF (FO) STARTED DOWN TO THE FULL FLY DOWN GS NEEDLE. HE LEFT 3000 FT AND WAS DSNDING WHEN WE ALL NOTICED WE WERE TOO LOW; EVEN WITH THE FULL FLY DOWN NEEDLE. IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO REALIZE WE WERE TRYING TO INTERCEPT A FALSE GS (WE WERE TOO FAR TO THE N OF THE LOC TO RECEIVE A VALID SIGNAL). WE CLBED BACK TO A GOOD VISUAL GLIDE PATH THEN TURNED FINAL AND FOLLOWED THE GS TO A LNDG. IT IS LIKELY THAT WE OPERATED BELOW THE ELECTRONIC GS ON A VISUAL APCH WHERE ONE WAS AVAILABLE. TO CURE THIS; BETTER COCKPIT DISCIPLINE IS NEEDED. I SHOULD HAVE NOT HAVE BEEN TUNING RADIOS SO CLOSE TO THE ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 458719: ON VISUAL APCH FOR SAT RWY 12R ON BASE. APPROX 4-6 MI OUT; THE FO (FLYING) DSNDED LOWER THAN NORMAL DUE TO FALSE GS. MY FOCUS WAS ON FE DUTIES. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE ARPT WHEN THE CAPT CALLED TOO LOW AND THE FO QUICKLY RECOVERED TO 1500 FT AGL.