Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Deviation - Speed All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors
We were being vectored for the ILS 35R into SDF. We were on a right downwind and ATC was leaving us high and we had to keep asking for lower altitudes which they gave us when asked. About 8-10 miles out they cleared us for a visual. We were still high and fast; 250 knots. The Captain set 230 kts on the speed and used speed brakes to slow. The Captain also disconnected the autopilot and started a turning descent towards the localizer. At 240 kts he called gear down and I selected gear down. At 220 kts we set flaps 1 and at 200 kts set flaps 2. The Captain was overriding the auto throttles at this time and at 190 kts he called flaps 3. I quickly checked the speed and set flaps 3. I must have missed the speed bug was not set for slower. At this time we armed the approach. He was in a right turn to intercept the localizer and I looked down for a second to look up the tower frequency and set it in standby. When I look back up we were passing through the localizer and descending below glide slope. I pointed out we're were passing through final and low. He started correcting up and more to the right and the aircraft began to accelerate. At this point we accelerated through flap speed and got the overspeed aural warning. At the same time ATC called out 'altitude alert; check altitude; below min vectoring altitude.' The Captain was correcting speed and altitude and I responded to ATC 'we're correcting'. We were almost full scale deflection to the left and below of the loc and glide slope but still well above 1000 feet and about 6 miles out. The Captain corrected speed and back onto the loc and glide slope. I selected a slower speed with the speed bug; I can't remember exactly what speed I set; I think 160 kts. We were handed over to Tower and cleared to land. We then selected flap 5; VAPP and completed the landing checklist. At 1000 feet instruments were normal and we were stable. We landed normally. It all happened surprisingly fast. Basically we were too fast originally. When the Captain was; I thought; turning to intercept the loc I looked down for a second to put the Tower freq in standby. When I looked back up we were well past; to the left; of the loc and well below glide path. It took me a second to figure out what was going on and make the call outs. Because the speed was still set for a speed above 200 and the Captain was overriding the auto-throttles to slow; when he released the throttles the aircraft accelerated and exceed flap speed by about 8 knots.First I should have stayed heads up until we were more stabilized on the final approach course and dealt with the frequency later. That way I could have helped monitor speed and configuration. And also better monitor the approach. When we got the low altitude alert from ATC and were almost full scale deflection on the ILS; I probably should have called for a go around. Even though we were before and above the 1000 foot call it might have prevented an overspeed. I would suggest that if ATC ever calls a low altitude alert crews should automatically initiate a go-around. Even in VMC.
If I had asked for a slower speed on approach; took a wider turn; or commanded speeds to be set this would have never happened.
EMB-175 flight crew reported ATC issued a low altitude alert to them on approach into SDF.