On Mon, 10 Oct 2005 18:50:51 +0000 (UTC), Daniel Roesen wrote:

Where did this captain get the idea to descend below the MEA of 1800ft
before the FAF? You said "but decided that clearance for the approach
was clearance to the initial approach altitude" - which would be 1800ft.
Did they overshoot this descend (you mentioned 1670ft), or did he
actually thought he could descend to MDA?

According to what I was told by people who were in a position to know, that
idea that "clearance for the approach was also clearance to immediately
descend to the initial approach altitude" was part of the airline training
(at the particular airline) at that time.

I, too, was surpised as my IFR training, occurring a few years earlier,
would have led me to NOT descend until I was on a charted portion of the
approach.

Needless to say, that accident led to changes both in ATC procedures as
well as airline training.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)