Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 26000
Situational Awareness; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
I was pilot Flying (PF). Late configuring flaps on [a] night visual approach to ZZZ RWY XXL. Hand flying with auto throttles off. Cause [was] misinterpretation of final approach fix location on Jeppesen chart and GS intercept altitude on chart. I did not see that the GS intercept altitude was only 3 miles from runway and about 1100 [feet] AGL. I assumed most GS intercept altitudes were 1500-2000 AGL and 5-6 miles from runway. I turned base and descended to 1600 [feet]. I was hand flying with auto throttles off for proficiency. I noted I did get about 75-100 low on this approach. My intent was to intercept final at 1600 [feet] and finish configuring full flaps when GS was about 1/2 dot. I did this but as it turns out I was 984 [feet] AGL when it happened so I got a printout showing late configuration. My [situational awareness] was not where it should have been. I did not really even notice I was so low until the 1000 [feet] call was made. At that point I should have gone around per SOP since I was not fully configured for landing. Contributing factors [included] unfamiliar airport. Night. Poor runway lighting coming in on left downwind. Runway lights are very dim and hard to see clearly until established on final. Too much task loading on me. I thought it would have been easier flying by hand but I felt I was definitely in the yellow on this approach because I just don't practice this enough. Lack of regular flying. Me; interpreting a cross as FAF/GS intercept altitudes as always around 1500-2000 AGL and 5-6 miles from runway. The 1600 [feet] published altitude was the trap that set me up on this. I had forgotten field elevation was about 500 [feet]. Suggestions [are] for me; in the future; I will practice no autopilot/no autothrottle approaches only in day VMC to airports I am very familiar with [and] with long stable final approaches anticipated. Night visuals especially from downwinds are a challenge. If unfamiliar with airport I will ask for vectors to intercept ILS in the future. I know it's not [going to] happen but make ZZZZZ at 2100 [feet] the GS intercept altitude point. I noticed also a lot of the ILS approaches into ZZZ have this really low GS intercept altitude. This is not good!
A320 Captain reported a CFTT/unstable approach due to human factors.