Date: 202107
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Distraction; Time Pressure
Anomaly: Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Aircraft X departed ZZZ1 for ZZZ behind schedule due to a deferred APU and excessive cabin temps. Prior to descent crew performed arrival brief discussing the landing on Runway 26 at ZZZ. As part of the brief crew extended a 3.5 NM extended final at approx 1;000 feet and programmed the FMS for the corresponding VNAV guidance. Flight was being vectored for approach and landing when crew was taken off arrival into ZZZ. Crew had airport in sight and proceeded visually to airport with FMS back up. The plan was to be fully configured; on speed at the created waypoint at 1;000 feet AGL. During vectors it was determined the flight was going to be heavy for landing; crew extended drag to help with landing within the maximum safe landing weight. At that time; crew became distracted with weight; terrain and visually flying to the final approach course when crew descended prematurely below our briefed 1;000 foot AGL waypoint. Crew was still approximately 3 miles on an extended base leg. Crew maintained visual separation with terrain. It was identified that we descended below 1;000 AGL down to 800 AGL. Crew initiated corrective action and climbed back to 1;000 AGL. Upon reaching 1;000 AGL; crew proceeded to turn final and land without further issue.In this scenario; crew became distracted with managing landing weight; flying a non standard visual approach without guidance in the vicinity of terrain. For the next time; I would've fixed the landing weight issue prior to beginning the approach. In this case the amount was so small that a simple delay vector would've solved our issue. The crew could've then focused on the visual flight path to the runway. Also for the future I would; I'd also incorporate more of the autopilot until at a safe altitude to help with workload management. For the future maintaining the altitude and autopilot until approaching a base to final turn could resolve premature descents. In the future I could also be more specific and clear about which altitudes and how soon I expect to descend to those altitudes and waypoints when transitioning below 10;000 MSL building a better shared mental model.




Synopsis: Captain reported distractions and crew communications resulted in a descent below minimum altitude during approach; causing the crew to climb back to the correct altitude.