Greg Esres wrote:




(As supporting evidence, the AIM says "Once cleared to fly the TAA,
pilots are expected to obey minimum altitudes depicted within the TAA
icons, unless instructed otherwise by air traffic control." This is
clearly permissive.)




4-8-1 b of 7110.65R states:

b. For aircraft operating on unpublished routes,
issue the approach clearance only after the aircraft is:

1. Established on a segment of a published route
or instrument approach procedure.

2. Assigned an altitude to maintain until the
aircraft is established on a segment of a published
route or instrument approach procedure.

Further down 4-8-1 states,

e. Where a Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) has been
established to support RNAV approaches use the
procedures under subpara b1 and b2 above.

Clearly, none of this can serve to clear an aircraft within a TAA right
base, left base, or direct entry area at an altitude below the published
IAP minimum altitude for that area.

Further, since the OLV IAP that started this thread was a TAA procedure,
I believe the controller failed to apply the published area altitude of
the TAA, especially if he issued the approach clearance prior to the IF.

The pilot should have been assigned not less than 2,800 until the IF.

When the new procedure was written it was all about off-route
clearances; TAAs were not discussed. Nonethess less, it does not negate
the existing ATC requirements for TAAs.