Narrative:

Runway 12R was the primary runway in use at sat when we arrived from hou. The ATIS called the WX 2300 broken 5. We asked approach if we could get runway 21 when we were approximately 30 mi out. They said unable but when we were 20 mi approach said tower would approve runway 21. We said ok and expedited our descent to 3000 ft our last assigned altitude. As we were passing 4000 ft we asked if we could continue our descent. The approach controller said that we were cleared for an ASR approach to 21 and gave the necessary missed approach and MDA advisories. She said that the MDA for this approach was 1200 ft and then cleared us to descend to the MDA. We estimate that we were 10- 12 mi from the field at this point. We were advised that we were left of course and given a slight turn. During the descent we were in and out of clouds and at 1200 ft MSL the bases were still below us. An additional right correction was issued about the time we came to a clear area. This heading was 20 or so degrees and when we looked in that direction we saw a 1485 ft MSL tv tower. We told controller that the heading would take us into the tower and she asked us to confirm that we were at 1200 ft. We said yes and delayed our turn to the right. If we had been on course it would have taken us directly into the tower. We passed about 3/4 of a mi to the left of the tower. It would appear that we were sent to the MDA too soon. Also, the MDA for this approach is 1280 ft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the controller did not use ASR approach phraseology. The flight crew did not review or have the sat radar-1 approach plate displayed. The flight crew thought they would break out of clouds and be able to proceed visually to the runway. Recommended altitudes were not listed. Supplemental information from acn 184159: the controller said this would be a vector to an ASR runway 21 approach and gave us missed approach instructions and an MDA of 1200 ft. The ASR runway 21 approach plate states an MDA of 1280 ft. She confirmed 1200 ft numerous times as the MDA. With the ATIS stating 2300 ft broken and 5 mi we asked if we were cleared lower than 3000 ft in hopes that we would be able to see the runway. She said to descend to our MDA of 1200 ft, and kept telling us to correct headings to the right as we were left of centerline. We still couldn't see the airport as the cloud bases were around 1200-1300 ft MSL. We started picking up the ground and then saw a 'very tall tower' at 1459 ft at our 2 O'clock position which was approximately 1/2-1 mi away (the top of the tower being much higher than our altitude). Just then the controller gave us another heading correction to the right to centerline. We told her that we could not accept this heading because it would take us into a tower. She said check your MDA altitude of 1200 ft. She apparently did not know about the 1459 ft tower. We thought that the 1200 ft MDA that she assigned us would clear all obstructions. The obstacles on our approach plates are not to scale outside of the 5 SM circle. We missed the tower by approximately 1/2-1 mi and then saw the airport and was given a visual approach to runway 21. I called sat approach on arrival sat and spoke with a supervisor. He apparently was not aware of a problem nor of the radio tower on the runway 21 approach. I pointed the tower out to him telling him to refer to the approach chart. He said that they would 'pull the tapes and block the radar.' we were on an IFR flight plan and cleared for an ASR approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR DSNDED ACR X BELOW MVA. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN TO AVOID RADIO TWR. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: RWY 12R WAS THE PRIMARY RWY IN USE AT SAT WHEN WE ARRIVED FROM HOU. THE ATIS CALLED THE WX 2300 BROKEN 5. WE ASKED APCH IF WE COULD GET RWY 21 WHEN WE WERE APPROX 30 MI OUT. THEY SAID UNABLE BUT WHEN WE WERE 20 MI APCH SAID TWR WOULD APPROVE RWY 21. WE SAID OK AND EXPEDITED OUR DSCNT TO 3000 FT OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT. AS WE WERE PASSING 4000 FT WE ASKED IF WE COULD CONTINUE OUR DSCNT. THE APCH CTLR SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR AN ASR APCH TO 21 AND GAVE THE NECESSARY MISSED APCH AND MDA ADVISORIES. SHE SAID THAT THE MDA FOR THIS APCH WAS 1200 FT AND THEN CLRED US TO DSND TO THE MDA. WE ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE 10- 12 MI FROM THE FIELD AT THIS POINT. WE WERE ADVISED THAT WE WERE L OF COURSE AND GIVEN A SLIGHT TURN. DURING THE DSCNT WE WERE IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS AND AT 1200 FT MSL THE BASES WERE STILL BELOW US. AN ADDITIONAL R CORRECTION WAS ISSUED ABOUT THE TIME WE CAME TO A CLR AREA. THIS HDG WAS 20 OR SO DEGS AND WHEN WE LOOKED IN THAT DIRECTION WE SAW A 1485 FT MSL TV TWR. WE TOLD CTLR THAT THE HDG WOULD TAKE US INTO THE TWR AND SHE ASKED US TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE AT 1200 FT. WE SAID YES AND DELAYED OUR TURN TO THE R. IF WE HAD BEEN ON COURSE IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US DIRECTLY INTO THE TWR. WE PASSED ABOUT 3/4 OF A MI TO THE L OF THE TWR. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE WERE SENT TO THE MDA TOO SOON. ALSO, THE MDA FOR THIS APCH IS 1280 FT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CTLR DID NOT USE ASR APCH PHRASEOLOGY. THE FLC DID NOT REVIEW OR HAVE THE SAT RADAR-1 APCH PLATE DISPLAYED. THE FLC THOUGHT THEY WOULD BREAK OUT OF CLOUDS AND BE ABLE TO PROCEED VISUALLY TO THE RWY. RECOMMENDED ALTS WERE NOT LISTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 184159: THE CTLR SAID THIS WOULD BE A VECTOR TO AN ASR RWY 21 APCH AND GAVE US MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS AND AN MDA OF 1200 FT. THE ASR RWY 21 APCH PLATE STATES AN MDA OF 1280 FT. SHE CONFIRMED 1200 FT NUMEROUS TIMES AS THE MDA. WITH THE ATIS STATING 2300 FT BROKEN AND 5 MI WE ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED LOWER THAN 3000 FT IN HOPES THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE RWY. SHE SAID TO DSND TO OUR MDA OF 1200 FT, AND KEPT TELLING US TO CORRECT HDGS TO THE R AS WE WERE L OF CENTERLINE. WE STILL COULDN'T SEE THE ARPT AS THE CLOUD BASES WERE AROUND 1200-1300 FT MSL. WE STARTED PICKING UP THE GND AND THEN SAW A 'VERY TALL TWR' AT 1459 FT AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS WHICH WAS APPROX 1/2-1 MI AWAY (THE TOP OF THE TWR BEING MUCH HIGHER THAN OUR ALT). JUST THEN THE CTLR GAVE US ANOTHER HDG CORRECTION TO THE R TO CENTERLINE. WE TOLD HER THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THIS HDG BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE US INTO A TWR. SHE SAID CHK YOUR MDA ALT OF 1200 FT. SHE APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE 1459 FT TWR. WE THOUGHT THAT THE 1200 FT MDA THAT SHE ASSIGNED US WOULD CLR ALL OBSTRUCTIONS. THE OBSTACLES ON OUR APCH PLATES ARE NOT TO SCALE OUTSIDE OF THE 5 SM CIRCLE. WE MISSED THE TWR BY APPROX 1/2-1 MI AND THEN SAW THE ARPT AND WAS GIVEN A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 21. I CALLED SAT APCH ON ARR SAT AND SPOKE WITH A SUPVR. HE APPARENTLY WAS NOT AWARE OF A PROBLEM NOR OF THE RADIO TWR ON THE RWY 21 APCH. I POINTED THE TWR OUT TO HIM TELLING HIM TO REFER TO THE APCH CHART. HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD 'PULL THE TAPES AND BLOCK THE RADAR.' WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND CLRED FOR AN ASR APCH.

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.