Aircraft was descended below the MVA for his route.

Attributes
ACN	146189
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller supervisory : 21
ASRS Report	146189
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working the DR1 radar position. Mlt inbound to centennial airport was handed off to me by the arrival controller. Mlt was deviating south of course due to WX and was entering my airspace. I needed to get the aircraft down so as to get under my departure traffic. I observed the aircraft over a 9400' minimum vectoring area, or so I thought. As the aircraft was still very high, I issued a descent clearance to 9000', thinking there would be no problem with descent reference MVA's. It was only after the arrival controller alerted me that I realized I had misread the MVA printed on the radar video map. At this time the aircraft was descending out of 10000' in an 11000' MVA. I had simply misread the MVA, which in turn caused me to issue an altitude which resulted in less than prescribed sep between the aircraft and terrain. This error was discovered after I departed the facility on my days off. As of this writing, I don't have aircraft type, exact time of occurrence, or operational error #. I have furnished all the information that I can remember to assist in identing this incident should the need arise later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT WAS DESCENDED BELOW THE MVA FOR HIS ROUTE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE DR1 RADAR POS. MLT INBND TO CENTENNIAL ARPT WAS HANDED OFF TO ME BY THE ARR CTLR. MLT WAS DEVIATING S OF COURSE DUE TO WX AND WAS ENTERING MY AIRSPACE. I NEEDED TO GET THE ACFT DOWN SO AS TO GET UNDER MY DEP TFC. I OBSERVED THE ACFT OVER A 9400' MINIMUM VECTORING AREA, OR SO I THOUGHT. AS THE ACFT WAS STILL VERY HIGH, I ISSUED A DSNT CLRNC TO 9000', THINKING THERE WOULD BE NO PROB WITH DSNT REF MVA'S. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE ARR CTLR ALERTED ME THAT I REALIZED I HAD MISREAD THE MVA PRINTED ON THE RADAR VIDEO MAP. AT THIS TIME THE ACFT WAS DSNDING OUT OF 10000' IN AN 11000' MVA. I HAD SIMPLY MISREAD THE MVA, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED ME TO ISSUE AN ALT WHICH RESULTED IN LESS THAN PRESCRIBED SEP BTWN THE ACFT AND TERRAIN. THIS ERROR WAS DISCOVERED AFTER I DEPARTED THE FAC ON MY DAYS OFF. AS OF THIS WRITING, I DON'T HAVE ACFT TYPE, EXACT TIME OF OCCURRENCE, OR OPERROR #. I HAVE FURNISHED ALL THE INFO THAT I CAN REMEMBER TO ASSIST IN IDENTING THIS INCIDENT SHOULD THE NEED ARISE LATER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.