Reporter thinks ATC not permitted to clear aircraft below the floor of the TCA.

Attributes
ACN	198625
Time
Date	199201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
ASRS Report	198625
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Have just a general comment on TCA charts. We (part 121 operators) are restr from operating below the floor of the TCA when arriving at the primary airport. This requires one pilot to be head down trying to decipher the TCA chart. To compound the problem, approach controllers will clear aircraft to their MVA, in some instances below the bottom of the TCA. Example: las creso arrival, clearance to 7000 ft in the sector with a min of 8000 ft. The controller is legal but perhaps the rule could be changed, requiring clrncs to keep us in the TCA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR THINKS ATC NOT PERMITTED TO CLR ACFT BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA.

Narrative: HAVE JUST A GENERAL COMMENT ON TCA CHARTS. WE (PART 121 OPERATORS) ARE RESTR FROM OPERATING BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA WHEN ARRIVING AT THE PRIMARY ARPT. THIS REQUIRES ONE PLT TO BE HEAD DOWN TRYING TO DECIPHER THE TCA CHART. TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM, APCH CTLRS WILL CLR ACFT TO THEIR MVA, IN SOME INSTANCES BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE TCA. EXAMPLE: LAS CRESO ARR, CLRNC TO 7000 FT IN THE SECTOR WITH A MIN OF 8000 FT. THE CTLR IS LEGAL BUT PERHAPS THE RULE COULD BE CHANGED, REQUIRING CLRNCS TO KEEP US IN THE TCA.

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.