Narrative:

Cleared to oakland pontiac airport via the falls VOR, victor 510 to muskegon, direct lansing, V103 to the cratr intersection, direct ptk. Climb and maintain 3000' expect 7000' 10 mins after departure, departure frequency 127.5 squawk 3123. I flew this clearance west/O any unusual event. The next day while reviewing my flight and chart I was startled to see the MEA of V103 is 8000'. I realized, therefore, I had violated a far. I called accident prevention safety counselor and told him what happened. He did not think the FAA would issued a citation given I received the clearance from the FAA but he recommended I send one of these forms. I talked to some of my friends who fly commercially in the detroit area. They told me they are regularly sent to cratr below the MEA. In fact, I was told it is sometimes difficult to navigation there although I did not experience any difficulty. I called the supervisor at the detroit TRACON and discussed my concern about this. He told me that in a radar environment, the controllers can request you to be at any altitude above their unpublished vectoring altitudes even though you may be too low to receive the navaids. He said if you wander off course, they will simply give you a vector to get back on but they won't write you up. I think this is nonsense. You can't receive a VOR at lower altitudes simply because you are in a radar environment. Anyway, I think the left chart should have a crossing restriction indicated on the lansing VOR for aircraft flying east on V103 since V2 west of lansing has an MEA of only 2600'. All the meas on the arwys going to lansing are quite low with the exception of V103. I think something should be done to make that 8000' MEA 'jump out' at you on the chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN ASSIGNED ALT BELOW MEA.

Narrative: CLRED TO OAKLAND PONTIAC ARPT VIA THE FALLS VOR, VICTOR 510 TO MUSKEGON, DIRECT LANSING, V103 TO THE CRATR INTXN, DIRECT PTK. CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000' EXPECT 7000' 10 MINS AFTER DEP, DEP FREQ 127.5 SQUAWK 3123. I FLEW THIS CLRNC W/O ANY UNUSUAL EVENT. THE NEXT DAY WHILE REVIEWING MY FLT AND CHART I WAS STARTLED TO SEE THE MEA OF V103 IS 8000'. I REALIZED, THEREFORE, I HAD VIOLATED A FAR. I CALLED ACCIDENT PREVENTION SAFETY COUNSELOR AND TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED. HE DID NOT THINK THE FAA WOULD ISSUED A CITATION GIVEN I RECEIVED THE CLRNC FROM THE FAA BUT HE RECOMMENDED I SEND ONE OF THESE FORMS. I TALKED TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS WHO FLY COMMERCIALLY IN THE DETROIT AREA. THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE REGULARLY SENT TO CRATR BELOW THE MEA. IN FACT, I WAS TOLD IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO NAV THERE ALTHOUGH I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY DIFFICULTY. I CALLED THE SUPVR AT THE DETROIT TRACON AND DISCUSSED MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS. HE TOLD ME THAT IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT, THE CTLRS CAN REQUEST YOU TO BE AT ANY ALT ABOVE THEIR UNPUBLISHED VECTORING ALTS EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY BE TOO LOW TO RECEIVE THE NAVAIDS. HE SAID IF YOU WANDER OFF COURSE, THEY WILL SIMPLY GIVE YOU A VECTOR TO GET BACK ON BUT THEY WON'T WRITE YOU UP. I THINK THIS IS NONSENSE. YOU CAN'T RECEIVE A VOR AT LOWER ALTS SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ARE IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT. ANYWAY, I THINK THE L CHART SHOULD HAVE A XING RESTRICTION INDICATED ON THE LANSING VOR FOR ACFT FLYING E ON V103 SINCE V2 W OF LANSING HAS AN MEA OF ONLY 2600'. ALL THE MEAS ON THE ARWYS GOING TO LANSING ARE QUITE LOW WITH THE EXCEPTION OF V103. I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE THAT 8000' MEA 'JUMP OUT' AT YOU ON THE CHART.

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.