Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Commercial
Situational Awareness; Workload; Confusion; Distraction; Fatigue; Human-Machine Interface
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Weather; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
We were at 2;600 FT and cleared for the approach. The Captain was pilot flying and I was pilot not flying. We were a little fast and trying to slow and configure. We captured the localizer. While tracking the localizer inbound; I preformed a landing check to the line; checked in with the Tower; and set the missed approach heading and altitude. When I looked up the Captain had the airplane in VS mode descending at 1;300 FPM. I checked the glide slope and it had not come 'alive' at all on both of our PFD's. I immediately stated 'Go Around.' Simultaneously; ATC said 'low altitude alert; check altitude.' We got the 'glide slope' aural warning and also 'terrain; terrain' aural GPWS warning. We executed a go around and diverted. We were at or just below 1;000 FT AGL when the go around was initiated. The threats were the mountainous terrain at night in icing conditions down to minimums. Also; we were on our 6th leg of the day. Errors were the pilot flying; the Captain; began a descent without a glide slope at 1;300 FPM. I will be extra vigilant when operating in these types of conditions; as I feel I already pretty much was.
A CRJ200 Captain was descending at 1;300 FPM and below the glideslope in mountainous terrain at night when the Terrain Warning sounded while ATC was calling low altitude alert. A go around was executed and the flight diverted.