Narrative:

Several days after a large special event at ZZZ; one of our local pilots contacted me about a potential issue. ZZZ was having a large fly-in and giving rides to the general public; the local pilot told me that the supervisor at ZZZ1 ATCT (the IFR controling facility) had restr the altitude of all the aircraft providing rides to 'maintain VFR below 2500 ft' within the area between ZZZ; restr area; and the VOR; the pilot expressed concern that the MVA within the area that the pilots were flying was 3700 ft (due to mountainous terrain and antennae) and wondered if being restr to maintain an altitude below the MVA was legal. I told him that in my opinion that it wasn't and that I was trained to 'never' issue an altitude below the MVA to any aircraft regardless whether they were VFR or IFR. According to the 7110.65 controllers are not to issue altitudes below the MVA to VFR aircraft; or vector aircraft below the MVA. I questioned another supervisor at ZZZ1; and his opinion was that controllers are not supposed to issue altitudes below the MVA to VFR aircraft but since this issue involved one of his fellow supervisors he didn't want to pursue the issue. If in accordance to the rules (7110.65) that it is determined that the supervisor who issued the restr for the special event was wrong; the ZZZ1 ATCT may have experienced over 100 operrors for restricting VFR aircraft to operate below a published MVA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZZZ1 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING VFR OPS BELOW MVA DURING SPECIAL EVENT; ALLEGING SUPVR WAS IN ERROR AUTHORIZING PROC.

Narrative: SEVERAL DAYS AFTER A LARGE SPECIAL EVENT AT ZZZ; ONE OF OUR LCL PLTS CONTACTED ME ABOUT A POTENTIAL ISSUE. ZZZ WAS HAVING A LARGE FLY-IN AND GIVING RIDES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC; THE LCL PLT TOLD ME THAT THE SUPVR AT ZZZ1 ATCT (THE IFR CTLING FACILITY) HAD RESTR THE ALT OF ALL THE ACFT PROVIDING RIDES TO 'MAINTAIN VFR BELOW 2500 FT' WITHIN THE AREA BTWN ZZZ; RESTR AREA; AND THE VOR; THE PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE MVA WITHIN THE AREA THAT THE PLTS WERE FLYING WAS 3700 FT (DUE TO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND ANTENNAE) AND WONDERED IF BEING RESTR TO MAINTAIN AN ALT BELOW THE MVA WAS LEGAL. I TOLD HIM THAT IN MY OPINION THAT IT WASN'T AND THAT I WAS TRAINED TO 'NEVER' ISSUE AN ALT BELOW THE MVA TO ANY ACFT REGARDLESS WHETHER THEY WERE VFR OR IFR. ACCORDING TO THE 7110.65 CTLRS ARE NOT TO ISSUE ALTS BELOW THE MVA TO VFR ACFT; OR VECTOR ACFT BELOW THE MVA. I QUESTIONED ANOTHER SUPVR AT ZZZ1; AND HIS OPINION WAS THAT CTLRS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ISSUE ALTS BELOW THE MVA TO VFR ACFT BUT SINCE THIS ISSUE INVOLVED ONE OF HIS FELLOW SUPVRS HE DIDN'T WANT TO PURSUE THE ISSUE. IF IN ACCORDANCE TO THE RULES (7110.65) THAT IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE SUPVR WHO ISSUED THE RESTR FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT WAS WRONG; THE ZZZ1 ATCT MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER 100 OPERRORS FOR RESTRICTING VFR ACFT TO OPERATE BELOW A PUBLISHED MVA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.