wrote in message ...
Gary Drescher wrote:

wrote in message ...
Andrew Sarangan wrote:

I agree that MSA does not satisfy the altitudes in mountainous
areas.
But in nonmountainous areas MSA does satisfy the altitude
requirements. What am I missing here?

That they are not published as IFR altitudes under either of the
pertinent
IFR alitude regulations, Part 95 or Part 97.

True, but under the circumstances Andrew described (flying off-route
direct
to an IAF), Parts 95 and 97 do not prescribe a minimum altitude. Hence,
91.177a2 applies. In a non-mountainous area, 91.177a2ii specifies a
condition that can be assured by reference to the MSA.

--Gary

Your responsibilities under the off-route provisions of 91.177 you site
are
absolute. OTOH, the design of MSAs by the FAA are done with sectional
charts

Which is typically how I'd ascertain an off-route minimum altitude in accord
with 91.177a2.

and are not assessed with the precision that are accorded IFR altitudes.

I'm not sure what you mean by "precision" here. The parameters are clearly
specified: 1000' above any obstacle in the designated sector. (The MSA
doesn't assure navaid reception, though, so that has to be assessed
separately.)

--Gary