"Daniel Roesen" wrote in message
...

Did they sink thru MSA?


Elevation at the crash site was about 1,670 feet, MSA in that quadrant was
3300.



Can you remember what airport and approach that was? Would like to look
at the approach plate...


VOR/DME RWY 12 at Dulles International, you can see it at
alt.binaries.pictures.aviation, the subject is "Dulles VOR/DME RWY 12".



So their approach clearance would have meant to fly to the IAF at level,
then "somehow" descend there, and then follow the approach?


Not to the IAF, until on a published segment of the approach. They were
already on the Armel 300 radial, they would have been on a published segment
of the approach when they reached ROUND HILL, 11.6 miles from the IAF.


Or was ATC's behaviour just wrong and they should have asked for
clarification?


There was no ATC error, and asking for clarification certainly wouldn't have
hurt them. The CVR indicated uncertainty of the proper altitude, the
captain said the approach plate indicated the minimum altitude until ROUND
HILL was 3400, but decided that clearance for the approach was clearance to
the initial approach altitude.