Medium Transport
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Air Traffic Control Military 13; Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 3500; Flight Crew Type 200
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
Coming in on the OHSEA2 arrival we requested the visual to 20R into SNA. Passing over BHEAR waypoint we were asked if we had an arriving aircraft in site that was inbound from the east; I believe on the Disney4 arrival. We visually acquired the aircraft and was told to descend to 4;000 feet MSL just to the east of BHEAR. We were then told to turn right heading 030 and asked if we had the aircraft in site and we said 'yes; in site. We were told to continue the right turn to 120 and then told we were cleared for the visual approach Runway 20R. When we were coming around at 4;000 feet MSL I realized we had been vectored inside of LEMON. I had to make an aggressive descent in order to capture the Glide Path to be stabilized by 500 feet AGL in order to have a normal descent rate with approach power and approach speed captured. During this aggressive rate of descent to capture glide path (estimated over 2;000 feet FPM); Tower made an advisory call 'low altitude warning; check altitude;' we were actually above glide slope and coming down onto Glide path when Tower made this call but the steep descent rate triggered their warning system and they made a radio call for a 'low altitude warning;' we were never below glide slope/glide path.The most important take away is that this whole scenario started because SoCal approach vectored us high and turned us tight inside of LEMON. This high and tight turn is very hard to capture a stabilized approach. I would recommend that SoCal gives additional downwind distance prior to turning base leg if the requirement is to stay above 2;500 feet MSL when turning near LEMON or HUKEM."
Corporate Captain reports low altitude warning from ATC during approach to SNA airport.