Gulfstream G200 (IAI 1126 Galaxy)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Fatigue
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Aircraft
During the landing phase after a 12 hr + day of duty and this being the 5th leg. I was acting as the PM. We got cleared for the visual approach. Both of us had the field insight and got set up for the pattern maneuver. My partner was the PF. As we maneuvered on the base leg I started noticing that we were getting a little low on altitude. Field elevation was 1;000 FT. My partner had set 1;500 FT on the Altitude Selector on the Flight Director as the AutoPilot was engaged. Suddenly the Tower Controller queried us about our altitude and advised us that MSA in that area is 2;100 FT. My partner immediately commenced a climb back to pattern altitude; as I asked the Controller for the current altimeter setting. Landing was uneventful. No GPWS warning was ever issued by the aircraft system. I definitely believe that fatigue played a major role in this case. It was the last leg of a very long day and also visual approach to a night landing. In the future I would ask ATC for vector to the instrument procedure to add additional assistance into the equation. Also will make sure we double check as a crew the pattern altitude during our approach briefing.
I didn't realize I was fatigued. While cleared for visual I kept autopilot on and descended to pattern altitude so I thought. I set altitude alerter to 1;500 FT for a visual; but didn't factor in airport elevation. I didn't like the way airport looked to my expectations of what base leg should look like; so I started a climb. ATC said low altitude alert right after that and we landed normally no GPWS etc.
G200 flight crew reports getting very low during a night visual approach after a 12 hour duty day and five legs. The Captain recognizes that he is only 500 FT above the field elevation at the same time the Tower issues a low altitude alert.