Narrative:

The event occurred during a portion of a student's long IFR cross country flight between onp and cvo at 6000 ft MSL. ZSE handed us off to cascade approach and moments later cascade cleared us to 5000 ft and a short time later to 3000 ft, both clrncs were read back. The student began the descent and as we were in VFR conditions, I had the student raise his foggles and look at how close we were to the terrain and explained that these hills did not meet the FAA definition of mountainous so we would only have 1000 ft of clearance. Then cascade approach asked our altitude and the student responded with 3600 ft. A moment later, approach informed us that MVA in our location was 5500 ft, at which time I stopped our descent and a short time later we were directed to climb to 5000 ft. When we reached 4000 ft we received an amendment for 4000 ft then moments later we were cleared to cross the VOR at 3000 ft and cleared for the approach. Cascade approach was very busy at the time and another aircraft with the same last digit, which was already in the valley area, had requested an approach. This undoubtedly led to the approach clearing the wrong aircraft to 3000 ft. Subsequently I found out that ZSE's main frame had gone down and that would have added to cascade's workload. When the event occurred I could have helped cascade out by informing them we were in VFR conditions. I have also cautioned the student to report altitude leaving, as well as the altitude going to, even when in a radar environment in an effort to confirm altitude changes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IFR SMA ON INST TRAINING FLT AT 6000 FT WAS ISSUED A DSCNT BELOW THE MVA. THE ACFT GOT TO 3600 FT BEFORE THE CTLR INTERVENED AND ISSUED A CLB. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT BELIEVES THAT THE CTLR TRANSPOSED ACFT CALL SIGN AND GAVE DSCNT TO THE WRONG ACFT. THE ACFT WAS IN VMC CONDITIONS DURING THE DSCNT.

Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED DURING A PORTION OF A STUDENT'S LONG IFR XCOUNTRY FLT BTWN ONP AND CVO AT 6000 FT MSL. ZSE HANDED US OFF TO CASCADE APCH AND MOMENTS LATER CASCADE CLRED US TO 5000 FT AND A SHORT TIME LATER TO 3000 FT, BOTH CLRNCS WERE READ BACK. THE STUDENT BEGAN THE DSCNT AND AS WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS, I HAD THE STUDENT RAISE HIS FOGGLES AND LOOK AT HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO THE TERRAIN AND EXPLAINED THAT THESE HILLS DID NOT MEET THE FAA DEFINITION OF MOUNTAINOUS SO WE WOULD ONLY HAVE 1000 FT OF CLRNC. THEN CASCADE APCH ASKED OUR ALT AND THE STUDENT RESPONDED WITH 3600 FT. A MOMENT LATER, APCH INFORMED US THAT MVA IN OUR LOCATION WAS 5500 FT, AT WHICH TIME I STOPPED OUR DSCNT AND A SHORT TIME LATER WE WERE DIRECTED TO CLB TO 5000 FT. WHEN WE REACHED 4000 FT WE RECEIVED AN AMENDMENT FOR 4000 FT THEN MOMENTS LATER WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE VOR AT 3000 FT AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. CASCADE APCH WAS VERY BUSY AT THE TIME AND ANOTHER ACFT WITH THE SAME LAST DIGIT, WHICH WAS ALREADY IN THE VALLEY AREA, HAD REQUESTED AN APCH. THIS UNDOUBTEDLY LED TO THE APCH CLRING THE WRONG ACFT TO 3000 FT. SUBSEQUENTLY I FOUND OUT THAT ZSE'S MAIN FRAME HAD GONE DOWN AND THAT WOULD HAVE ADDED TO CASCADE'S WORKLOAD. WHEN THE EVENT OCCURRED I COULD HAVE HELPED CASCADE OUT BY INFORMING THEM WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS. I HAVE ALSO CAUTIONED THE STUDENT TO RPT ALT LEAVING, AS WELL AS THE ALT GOING TO, EVEN WHEN IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT IN AN EFFORT TO CONFIRM ALT CHANGES.

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.