Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Overrode Automation
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
We completed the NIXX3 arrival with no issue and ended up on a left downwind for Runway 17R. I was planning the ILS 17R for backup guidance for a visual approach. ATC had us assigned at 210 knots; vectored us heading 330 for a short base; left us at a high altitude; and cleared us for the visual into 17R effectively 'slam dunking' us to the runway. We began self factoring ourselves to intercept final at the FAF. We were left at 210 knots and high so we lowered the gear and began using spoilers to slow down in order to configure flaps. I switched to green needles to intercept the localizer and armed approach mode. Because we were so close there was a delay for the course to come alive which in turn caused a delay in our intercept and for us to begin overshooting final. The Captain took controls and the autopilot was disengaged to correct for this and we received a bank warning during the correction as we touched 45 degrees. There was no traffic interference and the slight overshoot was promptly corrected back to centerline on final. Immediately after once back on centerline during the configuration process ATC issued a low altitude warning at a radar altimeter of 960 feet. We verified we were slightly low; the captain added power and we climbed to 1;300 feet. The Captain verified the transfer of controls back to me; and I leveled out to re-intercept a proper glide path while continuing to configure. All proper call outs were made; no aircraft limitations were exceeded; and by 1;000 ft we were stabilized and cleared to land. The remainder of the approach; landing; and taxi was uneventful.The three main causes were ATC could have set us up for a better approach; task saturation; and autopilot reliance/I should have just hand flown the approach from the beginning instead of trying to have the autopilot intercept final.The main thing that can be done to avoid this is when using autopilot use white needles to intercept final when we're so close to the runway; or just hand fly the approach and use outside visual ques.
ZZZ-DEN; visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the flight; first officer was pilot flying and I was pilot monitoring. Flight was proceeding normally on the NIIXX 3 arrival; we reached the bottom altitude of 11;000 feet and were told by approach to expect the visual approach to Runway 17R. Passing QWIKE; Approach Control assigned us an altitude of 7;000 feet (coinciding with the final approach fix altitude) and turned us to a heading of 330. The First Officer started a gentile descent and I advised him that we were going to have to descend faster because we were getting 'slam dunked' to the runway. Shortly thereafter; approach turned us on to a base leg and cleared us for the visual approach to 17R. The First Officer was flying using the autopilot in heading and vertical speed mode. We were at approximately 9;000 feet; seven miles from the runway threshold; and flying at 220 knots with speed brakes deployed at 3/4. Approach Control switched us to Tower; and Tower cleared us to land on 17R. Seeing the position we were in; I asked the First Officer if he would like the landing gear deployed to help us slow down; to which he replied yes. I looked down to the center pedestal; chimed the Flight Attendant; looked up to the gear handle; selected gear down; confirmed on the status page that the gear was lowering and then looked back up outside. When I looked up; we were nearly passing the runway extended center line with a heading roughly 60 degrees right of runway heading and the First Officer was not correcting fast enough to prevent a runway overshoot. I took controls; disconnected the autopilot; and turned to correct the flight path back to align with the runway extended center line; having passed a couple hundred feet past the center line. In the turn we received a 'bank angle' aural alert as our bank had touched 45 degrees and we had continued to descend which triggered Denver Tower to issue a low altitude alert. I saw the radar altimeter indicating 960 feet above ground; I added power; and climbed back up to the glide slope which put us at roughly 1;300 feet above ground. I asked the First Officer if he was ready for the flight controls; he said yes; and we transferred controls. We continued to configure the aircraft for landing and we were stabilized and fully configured passing 1;000 feet above the landing runway elevation. The remainder of the approach; landing; taxi in; and parking took place without incident. Delayed response by the pilot flying to a 'slam dunk' visual approach clearance with respect to energy state; task saturation by the pilot monitoring having to configure the Multipurpose Control Display Unit; make radio calls to both Approach and Tower; configuring the aircraft; and coaching a new First Officer who has been on the aircraft for just over a month. Additionally; we were turned on to a base leg still high relative to the approach path and cleared for a visual approach that required higher than normal descent rates to complete. I believe it would have been appropriate for the Approach Controller to delay the base turn judging by our altitude. Better awareness of a First Officers skill level and confidence when given challenging clearances. Better judgment exercised by Approach Control with respect to an aircraft's altitude and visual approach clearances. Earlier recognition of task saturation and increased focus on flight path management even if it delays the completion of other tasks.
Flight crew reported receiving a low altitude alert on arrival into DEN after having to override automation in an attempt to comply with ATC instructions that kept them high on approach.