Air carrier cleared to descend below TCA floor on ILS approach while still at 230 KTS.

Attributes
ACN	201773
Time
Date	199202
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem tower : sun
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	201773
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The aircraft was being flown by the captain and was being vectored for an ILS approach to runway 27 memphis, the aircraft was headed northwest and was south of centerline descending to assigned altitude of 4000 ft. The aircraft was then cleared to 2000 ft on a 290 degree heading and cleared for the ILS approach. The aircraft was about 15 NM from memphis descending through 3000 ft to 2000 ft on it's final heading. The acfts airspeed was about 230 KTS, the captain leveled off at 2000 ft, slowed down, configured, and operated the flight to a normal landing, after some thought a few days after the flight, I reviewed the memphis TCA area chart. The TCA chart reveals that the aircraft was operated below the TCA floor above 200 KTS. Conclusion: must review TCA area chart for all airports flown into. Must be able to assert this information to the captain flying the aircraft. (Approach control will assign altitudes to aircraft that will take the aircraft below the TCA floor. Therefore, concluding that the pilots must always be aware of their altitude and position relative to airport, terrain, and type airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CLRED TO DSND BELOW TCA FLOOR ON ILS APCH WHILE STILL AT 230 KTS.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN BY THE CAPT AND WAS BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 27 MEMPHIS, THE ACFT WAS HEADED NW AND WAS S OF CTRLINE DSNDING TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT. THE ACFT WAS THEN CLRED TO 2000 FT ON A 290 DEG HDG AND CLRED FOR THE ILS APCH. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 15 NM FROM MEMPHIS DSNDING THROUGH 3000 FT TO 2000 FT ON IT'S FINAL HDG. THE ACFTS AIRSPD WAS ABOUT 230 KTS, THE CAPT LEVELED OFF AT 2000 FT, SLOWED DOWN, CONFIGURED, AND OPERATED THE FLT TO A NORMAL LNDG, AFTER SOME THOUGHT A FEW DAYS AFTER THE FLT, I REVIEWED THE MEMPHIS TCA AREA CHART. THE TCA CHART REVEALS THAT THE ACFT WAS OPERATED BELOW THE TCA FLOOR ABOVE 200 KTS. CONCLUSION: MUST REVIEW TCA AREA CHART FOR ALL ARPTS FLOWN INTO. MUST BE ABLE TO ASSERT THIS INFO TO THE CAPT FLYING THE ACFT. (APCH CTL WILL ASSIGN ALTS TO ACFT THAT WILL TAKE THE ACFT BELOW THE TCA FLOOR. THEREFORE, CONCLUDING THAT THE PLTS MUST ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THEIR ALT AND POS RELATIVE TO ARPT, TERRAIN, AND TYPE AIRSPACE.

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.