M-20 J (201) / Allegro
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40; Flight Crew Total 1195; Flight Crew Type 1195
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
I was on an IFR flight plan to Caldwell; NJ (CDW). The airport was in sight and I had received clearance for the visual approach to Runway 4. I was handed off to Caldwell Tower and was instructed to fly straight in to Runway 4 and report 4 mile final. I was descending to pattern altitude at a relatively slow rate of descent (around 300 FPM) and inside 10 miles from the field. Pattern altitude is 1;200 FT MSL. At around 2;000 FT MSL I received a low altitude alert from the Tower Controller. I was constantly in visual contact with the terrain which did not appear to be unsafe. I am aware that the terrain southwest of the field is somewhat higher than field elevation but I was in visual contact with the approach end of the runway and with the ground below me. I then arrested my descent and continued my approach. Distracted by the Tower's communication and by my wife asking what that was all about; I remained high and then had to make a greater than average final descent to land. The Mooney is somewhat hard to slow down especially in a descent so I try to get to pattern altitude by 3 to 4 miles from the field. In the future I will probably load the GPS approach so as to get safe glide slope information even on a visual approach.
A Mooney M20J pilot reported getting a low altitude alert from the CDW Tower on visual approach to Runway 4.