B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Airport
Enroute we saw that Kennedy was running VOR visual to 13L. I was flying pilot. I have limited experience with this procedure and the First Officer (FO) was not New York based so we took our time briefing and we discussed how I was going to fly the approach down to every detail---where I would be configured; when we would lose VNAV guidance; use of vertical guidance on the flight director for additional situational awareness; appropriate descent rate for the runway; attention all users page; effect of the wind on my intercept to final and more. The approach was stable throughout. The aircraft was configured well before 1;000 ft AGL. I was hand flying and as I began the turn to final and the VASI started becoming visible I realized I was slightly low. I made the necessary changes to my descent rate while maintaining a stable approach. Just as I completed my corrections ATC informed us that he had a low altitude alert on us. We acknowledged the transmission and I determined that at this point we were corrected; still stable; and in a position for a normal landing. I continued and landed without incident. In retrospect I am dismayed that we just didn't request the RNAV RNP 13L and I would have had vertical and lateral guidance through the turn to final and lower in the descent. With all our briefing and discussing and fixating on the visual approach I didn't investigate other options. I will not make that mistake again. I also believe that we become so dependent on instrument approach guidance to the detriment of visual flight skills making an approach like this one even more challenging.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
Flight crew of large turbojet reported ATC issued a low altitude alert during a visual approach to 13L at JFK.