Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
We were on a visual approach into New Orleans Rwy 2 backed up by ILS Rwy 2.  On downwind; Tower gave a left turn to heading 110 and cleared for visual to follow aircraft on final. The clearance heading was well inside the final approach fix with a 90 degrees intercept to final approach.  I needed to start the descent down because we were high to begin with. Tower gave low altitude alert and we made the correction with power adjustment.  I believe we were at 1;100 FT between FAF POVVI and YERUB.  I made correction and we were below GS while correcting and at one point with one white and three red on the PAPI. On short final 3/4 mile we were back on GS.Next time advise ATC for vectors outside FAF and do not accept 90 intercept and try to get a vector to FAF with 30 degrees intercept.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
CRJ-900 flight crew reported receiving a low altitude alert from ATC on a visual approach to MSY.