Narrative:

Filed route, fmn V187 jnc. The flight was south of jnc VOR on V187. ZDV cleared us down to 13000 ft MSL and contact gjt approach. Gjt approach was contacted and then gave a clearance to descend to 10100 ft after 25 DME from jnc. A comment was made by the controller that company had broken out prior to reaching 10100 ft with the airport in sight and to expect the same. As I leveled at 10100 ft MSL, I caught a glimpse of the ground and seemed closer than normal. At approximately 15 DME from jnc, my radar altimeter signalled 920 ft AGL. I asked my first officer for the MEA which was 12000 ft MSL. I then started a climb from 10100 ft to a higher altitude of 10500 ft while my first officer was requesting a higher altitude from approach with a verification of the clearance. The controller then gave a clearance, 'if field not in sight at 14 DME, right turn direct to the fruita VOR (rhu) descend and maintain 9500 ft.' I maintained my altitude of 10400-10500 ft. The controller then made the comment that at traci intersection, which is 14 DME, that we were good down to 9000 ft. This did not make much sense to myself or my first officer. All of this was happening at about 10-12 DME off of jnc. As we were in the right turn to rhu, we broke into the clear with the field in sight. We landed without further incident with nothing else said. Over the next 3 days, I continued to think about this and while talking to my fellow pilots and looking over the charts, I believe now I know what happened. The controller had us coming in on V134 from den VOR and at 25 DME, a step down to 10100 ft and at 14 DME 9500 ft would apply. The clearance at 14 DME with a right turn to rhu would still apply. I should have never descended below 12000 ft MEA. It was not until after I had descended to 10100 ft and reviewed the chart that I caught the mistake. I have traveled the route den- jnc V134 many times and heard the clearance as stated earlier and this is where the complacency came into play. This was my mistake. The controller's mistake was that he had us in the wrong place. The fact that neither the controller nor myself caught it was the mistake of both. Corrective action actions to prevent this from happening again would be to 1) state which airway or direction arriving from. 2) gjt is non-radar, install a radar service. 3) GPWS installed in aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 263751: we were handed off to gjt approach and we were told to report 25 DME from jmc VOR. We were also informed by gjt approach that there was a 'big hole' over the airport and we should 'break out' and see the airport. At 25 DME jnc we were cleared down to 10100 ft MSL. The captain questioned this clearance and asked me to check MSA for the area we were in. The nnw was 10400 ft and from northeast/southwest was 11700 ft. The captain started a climb back to 10500 ft. I questioned gjt approach about the clearance and referenced the MSA. I also asked for direct fruita VOR (rhu) for the VOR approach. Gjt approach said that if field not in sight by 14 DME (jnc) that we were cleared direct rhu VOR and cleared to descend to 9000 ft MSL. The captain said he was staying at 10500 ft MSL. During the initial descent I commented on the radar altimeter being alive and noticed it was as low as 1300 ft AGL. I believe the controller at gjt thought we were inbound from den and not inbound from the south.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX X DSCNT BELOW MEA. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: FILED RTE, FMN V187 JNC. THE FLT WAS S OF JNC VOR ON V187. ZDV CLRED US DOWN TO 13000 FT MSL AND CONTACT GJT APCH. GJT APCH WAS CONTACTED AND THEN GAVE A CLRNC TO DSND TO 10100 FT AFTER 25 DME FROM JNC. A COMMENT WAS MADE BY THE CTLR THAT COMPANY HAD BROKEN OUT PRIOR TO REACHING 10100 FT WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND TO EXPECT THE SAME. AS I LEVELED AT 10100 FT MSL, I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE GND AND SEEMED CLOSER THAN NORMAL. AT APPROX 15 DME FROM JNC, MY RADAR ALTIMETER SIGNALLED 920 FT AGL. I ASKED MY FO FOR THE MEA WHICH WAS 12000 FT MSL. I THEN STARTED A CLB FROM 10100 FT TO A HIGHER ALT OF 10500 FT WHILE MY FO WAS REQUESTING A HIGHER ALT FROM APCH WITH A VERIFICATION OF THE CLRNC. THE CTLR THEN GAVE A CLRNC, 'IF FIELD NOT IN SIGHT AT 14 DME, R TURN DIRECT TO THE FRUITA VOR (RHU) DSND AND MAINTAIN 9500 FT.' I MAINTAINED MY ALT OF 10400-10500 FT. THE CTLR THEN MADE THE COMMENT THAT AT TRACI INTXN, WHICH IS 14 DME, THAT WE WERE GOOD DOWN TO 9000 FT. THIS DID NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE TO MYSELF OR MY FO. ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING AT ABOUT 10-12 DME OFF OF JNC. AS WE WERE IN THE R TURN TO RHU, WE BROKE INTO THE CLR WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT WITH NOTHING ELSE SAID. OVER THE NEXT 3 DAYS, I CONTINUED TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND WHILE TALKING TO MY FELLOW PLTS AND LOOKING OVER THE CHARTS, I BELIEVE NOW I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THE CTLR HAD US COMING IN ON V134 FROM DEN VOR AND AT 25 DME, A STEP DOWN TO 10100 FT AND AT 14 DME 9500 FT WOULD APPLY. THE CLRNC AT 14 DME WITH A R TURN TO RHU WOULD STILL APPLY. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER DSNDED BELOW 12000 FT MEA. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER I HAD DSNDED TO 10100 FT AND REVIEWED THE CHART THAT I CAUGHT THE MISTAKE. I HAVE TRAVELED THE RTE DEN- JNC V134 MANY TIMES AND HEARD THE CLRNC AS STATED EARLIER AND THIS IS WHERE THE COMPLACENCY CAME INTO PLAY. THIS WAS MY MISTAKE. THE CTLR'S MISTAKE WAS THAT HE HAD US IN THE WRONG PLACE. THE FACT THAT NEITHER THE CTLR NOR MYSELF CAUGHT IT WAS THE MISTAKE OF BOTH. CORRECTIVE ACTION ACTIONS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN WOULD BE TO 1) STATE WHICH AIRWAY OR DIRECTION ARRIVING FROM. 2) GJT IS NON-RADAR, INSTALL A RADAR SVC. 3) GPWS INSTALLED IN ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 263751: WE WERE HANDED OFF TO GJT APCH AND WE WERE TOLD TO RPT 25 DME FROM JMC VOR. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED BY GJT APCH THAT THERE WAS A 'BIG HOLE' OVER THE ARPT AND WE SHOULD 'BREAK OUT' AND SEE THE ARPT. AT 25 DME JNC WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 10100 FT MSL. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THIS CLRNC AND ASKED ME TO CHK MSA FOR THE AREA WE WERE IN. THE NNW WAS 10400 FT AND FROM NE/SW WAS 11700 FT. THE CAPT STARTED A CLB BACK TO 10500 FT. I QUESTIONED GJT APCH ABOUT THE CLRNC AND REFED THE MSA. I ALSO ASKED FOR DIRECT FRUITA VOR (RHU) FOR THE VOR APCH. GJT APCH SAID THAT IF FIELD NOT IN SIGHT BY 14 DME (JNC) THAT WE WERE CLRED DIRECT RHU VOR AND CLRED TO DSND TO 9000 FT MSL. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS STAYING AT 10500 FT MSL. DURING THE INITIAL DSCNT I COMMENTED ON THE RADAR ALTIMETER BEING ALIVE AND NOTICED IT WAS AS LOW AS 1300 FT AGL. I BELIEVE THE CTLR AT GJT THOUGHT WE WERE INBOUND FROM DEN AND NOT INBOUND FROM THE S.

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.