EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Airport
We were cleared for the approach pretty far out. The Captain was flying and dialed in the final approach fix altitude and began the descent while I was switching onto tower and getting clearance to land. We descended way too fast and came over a ridge getting 700 feet AGL and got a landing gear aural warning. Shortly after the warning the ridge began to drop off and we were back to nearly 1;300 feet AGL.Paying attention to MSA on approach and not getting into the habit of just dialing in final approach fix altitude and dropping to it when cleared for the approach.
EMB175 First Officer experiences a too low gear warning when the Captain descends to the FAF altitude well outside the FAF. A ridge to the east of the FAF triggered the warning which ceased when the terrain dropped to field elevation.