Narrative:

This section describes how my student and I unintentionally busted the min descent altitude (MDA) on the lda-C approach to vny. My student subscribes to the commercial service and his charts were current and up-to- date. I met my student on a cold sat morning for a short cross country flight to log some actual IFR time and add some time to his recurrency total. We have met together to fly many times in the past. My student holds a commercial pilot certificate, single engine land, and multi engine land privileges, with an instrument rating. He was the legal PIC and properly authorized to conduct the flight as such. My student obtained the WX from FSS, probably from home and talking to a briefer since he is not, as far as I am aware, using duat. The WX from sna to vny would be IMC with vny reporting 500 ft overcast with 3 mi in rain showers. He did not mention any changes to the approachs in use at vny. The flight proceeded normally over lax and to the vicinity of vny. During this portion of the flight, we obtained the vny ATIS and no mention was made of any regulatory changes to any of the approachs at vny. While in contact with burbank approach (TRACON) or van nuys tower during the approach, no mention was made of any changes to the approach (the MDA change), or of any low altitude alerts. We successfully completed the lda-C approach to a circle to land on runway 16R using the approach plate MDA (1320 ft MSL for CAT a). While on the ground, van nuys ground advised that the MDA was 2600 ft MSL because the FAA flight check for that approach at the old MDA had failed last week. First, my student claims he was not given any information during his WX briefing about this NOTAM. I do not know if he specifically asked about fdc NOTAMS, but I believe that this should be a standard part of an IFR briefing. Second, the change in the MDA should also be part of the vny ATIS. If, during the hollywood bowl season, the vny and bur ATIS asks pilots not to overfly the hollywood bowl, a change in the MDA, which is more important, should certainly be mentioned. Third, bur TRACON or vny tower should have commented on the change to the MDA since they knew which approach we were planning to fly or were actually flying. At the very least, they should have given us a low altitude alert and said something.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING APCH ON WHICH MDA HAS BEEN RAISED. DSNDS BELOW NEW MDA ALT.

Narrative: THIS SECTION DESCRIBES HOW MY STUDENT AND I UNINTENTIONALLY BUSTED THE MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) ON THE LDA-C APCH TO VNY. MY STUDENT SUBSCRIBES TO THE COMMERCIAL SVC AND HIS CHARTS WERE CURRENT AND UP-TO- DATE. I MET MY STUDENT ON A COLD SAT MORNING FOR A SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT TO LOG SOME ACTUAL IFR TIME AND ADD SOME TIME TO HIS RECURRENCY TOTAL. WE HAVE MET TOGETHER TO FLY MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. MY STUDENT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PLT CERTIFICATE, SINGLE ENG LAND, AND MULTI ENG LAND PRIVILEGES, WITH AN INST RATING. HE WAS THE LEGAL PIC AND PROPERLY AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT THE FLT AS SUCH. MY STUDENT OBTAINED THE WX FROM FSS, PROBABLY FROM HOME AND TALKING TO A BRIEFER SINCE HE IS NOT, AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, USING DUAT. THE WX FROM SNA TO VNY WOULD BE IMC WITH VNY RPTING 500 FT OVCST WITH 3 MI IN RAIN SHOWERS. HE DID NOT MENTION ANY CHANGES TO THE APCHS IN USE AT VNY. THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY OVER LAX AND TO THE VICINITY OF VNY. DURING THIS PORTION OF THE FLT, WE OBTAINED THE VNY ATIS AND NO MENTION WAS MADE OF ANY REGULATORY CHANGES TO ANY OF THE APCHS AT VNY. WHILE IN CONTACT WITH BURBANK APCH (TRACON) OR VAN NUYS TWR DURING THE APCH, NO MENTION WAS MADE OF ANY CHANGES TO THE APCH (THE MDA CHANGE), OR OF ANY LOW ALT ALERTS. WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE LDA-C APCH TO A CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 16R USING THE APCH PLATE MDA (1320 FT MSL FOR CAT A). WHILE ON THE GND, VAN NUYS GND ADVISED THAT THE MDA WAS 2600 FT MSL BECAUSE THE FAA FLT CHK FOR THAT APCH AT THE OLD MDA HAD FAILED LAST WK. FIRST, MY STUDENT CLAIMS HE WAS NOT GIVEN ANY INFO DURING HIS WX BRIEFING ABOUT THIS NOTAM. I DO NOT KNOW IF HE SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT FDC NOTAMS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE A STANDARD PART OF AN IFR BRIEFING. SECOND, THE CHANGE IN THE MDA SHOULD ALSO BE PART OF THE VNY ATIS. IF, DURING THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL SEASON, THE VNY AND BUR ATIS ASKS PLTS NOT TO OVERFLY THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL, A CHANGE IN THE MDA, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT, SHOULD CERTAINLY BE MENTIONED. THIRD, BUR TRACON OR VNY TWR SHOULD HAVE COMMENTED ON THE CHANGE TO THE MDA SINCE THEY KNEW WHICH APCH WE WERE PLANNING TO FLY OR WERE ACTUALLY FLYING. AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US A LOW ALT ALERT AND SAID SOMETHING.

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.