Date: 201603
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: PDX.Airport, OR
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B737-800
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Final Approach
Airspace: Class C PDX
ATC / advisory: Tower PDX
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Distraction
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was the Pilot Monitoring during this flight. We briefed the visual to Runway 10R; backed up by the ILS 10R in the FMC. It was nighttime; clear VFR conditions with surface winds 080 and gusting 25-30 knots. We were on the HHOOD arrival; downwind on the north side of the airport. We were cleared for the visual approach to runway 10R while heading approximately 180 degrees pointed right at the FAF POWLZ (FMC was set up for the ILS 10R). The tower controller had turned us to the base leg while we were still high. When given the clearance by tower for the visual approach I believe the Pilot Flying (PF) selected LVL CHANGE to facilitate a rapid descent to the glide path. I was completing landing checklist items at the same time as the PF was calling for the deployment of the landing gear and flaps. We decelerated and descended fully configured to the glide path. During this very brief time I kept an eye toward the airport but I didn't realize our rate of descent took the aircraft well below glide path until the Portland Tower controller issued us a 'Low Altitude Alert'. The PF immediately leveled off. We were just above 1000 feet. I determined our position on the extended center line and felt it was safe to continue the approach. We intercepted the glide slope and landed.Lessons learned Using Level Change brings the throttles to idle and sets up too high a rate of descent near the ground; also providing a good chance to get slow (or fast) if hand flying since the throttles go to the ARM mode and will not wake up or provide any speed protection. Vertical Speed would have been a better mode and provided a more controlled rate of descent and also speed protection.I also failed to recognize the APPROACH mode had not been engaged. We therefore unwittingly flew through the glide slope and didn't realize it. Selecting the APPROACH mode is certainly a habit pattern I always plan to employ but in this case I missed it and therefore suffered a very poor result.


Second narrative: I was pilot flying right seat VFR arrival to 10R Portland first time. On left downwind was given left turn vector just inside Final approach fix POWLZ. At this point on left base I called for gear down and flaps 15. I had slowed down to 180 knots from 190 knots on downwind and flaps 5. Upon left hand turn went flaps 10 below 210 then called for landing gear down and flaps 15 noticing I was about 300 feet high at that point. We had in the altitude selector window 2000 feet. I went to flight level change on vertical descent mode and throttles went to arm as we configured to flaps 40 with gear down. Wind was gusting from 18-33 knots from the left. We turned inside the FAF below 2000 as we rolled the altitude window selector to 0 feet. We had the ILsS set up in the FMS and navaids for a brakes 3 flaps 40 VFR arrival severe clear.We had no autothrottle protection and got slow which the captain pointed out and then got an altitude alert from tower as we descended below glide slope with just the localizer arm button activated and not the approach mode to prevent any vertical oscillations until we were close to intercepting the glide path. The combination of low speed and low altitude put us outside parameters and it happened in seconds not minutes. I corrected back to airspeed by advancing the throttles and arming the approach mode and climbing back up to 2;000 ft to capture the glide path. Landing was smooth and uneventful. Landed within the first 1/3 of runway on path; VASI reading normally. Runway length is 11;000 ft. Slight left crosswind gusty winds. System knowledge regarding flight level change arms throttles and you don't have any protection. Slipped my mind and taking a vector delayed outside of final approach fix to set up properly for approach. Fly the airplane not the automation! I could clearly see the runway and allowed myself to get distracted inside. Select approach mode once on base turn instead of just LOC. Better cross check of altitude and airspeed. SOP! These events happen very quickly left base to final is where I got slow and too low. Be vigilant in all phases and use vertical speed down low when you don't have a altitude selected in the altitude selector window. ATC gave us an early turn inside the FAF and I won't allow that next time late at night into unfamiliar territory first time approach. Due to little traffic they vectored us in tight and I got behind the jet.


Synopsis: B737 flight crew reported getting low and slow during a night visual approach to Runway 10R at PDX. The Tower issued a low altitude alert and the descent was arrested; speed increased; and a normal landing completed.