TRACON controller described a MVA non-compliance event when issuing a direct routing to a departure;...

Narrative:

A BE20 was IFR inbound for the airport. Weather was low visibility but he had the weather and thought that he could get a visual approach. I gave him a pilot's discretion descent to 3;000 direct a fix which took him over an antenna with an MVA of 3;500. I had been relieved prior to this occurrence but I had issued the instructions. The MVA's had recently changed twice within the last few months and I knew that they were lower than before but simply made an error about it. This is the highest obstacle within the airspace. We have had many MVA errors because of it. I do not know what could be done to lessen controllers forgetting about this obstacle; or forgetting that it is higher than 3;000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON Controller described a MVA non-compliance event when issuing a direct routing to a departure; failing to note the route went through a higher MVA.

Narrative: A BE20 was IFR inbound for the airport. Weather was low visibility but he had the weather and thought that he could get a Visual Approach. I gave him a pilot's discretion descent to 3;000 direct a fix which took him over an antenna with an MVA of 3;500. I had been relieved prior to this occurrence but I had issued the instructions. The MVA's had recently changed twice within the last few months and I knew that they were lower than before but simply made an error about it. This is the highest obstacle within the airspace. We have had many MVA errors because of it. I do not know what could be done to lessen controllers forgetting about this obstacle; or forgetting that it is higher than 3;000 FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

Attributes
ACN	992812
Time
Date	201202
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Super King Air 200
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Airspace Violation All Types Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

TRACON controller described a MVA non-compliance event when issuing a direct routing to a departure; failing to note the route went through a higher MVA.