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TRACON controller reported an aircraft on a heading to intercept an approach descended early and below the minimum vectoring altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1618661 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201902 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001-0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | MFR.Airport |
| State Reference | OR |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Medium Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Approach |
| Route In Use | Direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Approach |
| Qualification | Air Traffic Control Fully Certified |
| Experience | Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 7.0 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT |
Narrative:
Aircraft X was on vectors for a GPS approach at mfr (this approach is to the airport not to the runway and not a precision approach). Aircraft X was issued distance from the final approach fix; heading 290 and 9000 feet until established. They read back direct and 9000 until established; which appeared would be essentially the same; so I did not correct them. Just south of the final approach fix the low altitude alert went off and I asked them to verify they had the terrain in sight. Initially they said no; but before I issued a low altitude alert they confirmed they had the terrain in sight. I issued the low altitude alert and gave the MVA (minimum vectoring altitude) of 8700 feet. They climbed to 8700 feet. I verified they were still established and re-cleared them for the approach.tower should not advertise circling approaches due to terrain; most air carriers will not even accept this approach. Precision approaches should be used; unless visuals can be advertised due to terrain and complexity of the non-precision approaches. The airspace design does not allow precision approaches from the south.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TRACON Controller reported an aircraft on a heading to intercept an approach descended early and below the Minimum Vectoring Altitude.
Narrative: Aircraft X was on vectors for a GPS approach at MFR (this approach is to the airport not to the runway and not a precision approach). Aircraft X was issued distance from the final approach fix; heading 290 and 9000 feet until established. They read back direct and 9000 until established; which appeared would be essentially the same; so I did not correct them. Just south of the final approach fix the low altitude alert went off and I asked them to verify they had the terrain in sight. Initially they said no; but before I issued a low altitude alert they confirmed they had the terrain in sight. I issued the low altitude alert and gave the MVA (minimum vectoring altitude) of 8700 feet. They climbed to 8700 feet. I verified they were still established and re-cleared them for the approach.Tower should not advertise circling approaches due to terrain; most air carriers will not even accept this approach. Precision approaches should be used; unless visuals can be advertised due to terrain and complexity of the non-precision approaches. The airspace design does not allow precision approaches from the south.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.