Tolerances - Published Minimum Altitudes

Sam Spade wrote:
John wrote:
If assigned IFR altitudes can be considered to have a tolerance of +/-
200 ft before you are "busted", what applies to published minimum
altitudes other than DH and MDA on approach plates? Most people will
say that you are not supposed to descend any amount below the DH/MDA
altitudes. Does this also apply to procedure turn altitudes,
transitions etc.? Is there a tolerance that is in effect +200 -0 that
applies?

In practical terms, whereas a decent of 100 ft below an assigned
altitude will cause no problems, is such a decent of 50-100' below a
published procedure turn altitude, transition altitude enough to get
in trouble?

John

The practical test standards are simply wrong when it comes to MEAs or
any minimum altitude on an IAP.

The minimum is the minimum by law...period.

The only exception is not really an exception at all, DA. As a matter
of regulation DA does not have the word "minimum" associated with it.
Instead, at DA the decision must be made to continue descent with visual
reference or begin the missed approach.

This is in line with what I thought from a strictly legalistic
standpoint. But in practical real world terms, does this mean that if
you are hand flying an approach and say are in a procedure turn, you
will fly 100' above the published altitude to avoid going below? Or do
most ppl just fly the published altitude (I'm talking transition or PT
or something other than "close to the ground") and not worry about +/-
100 ft?

John

John wrote:

Sam Spade wrote:

John wrote:

If assigned IFR altitudes can be considered to have a tolerance of
+/- 200 ft before you are "busted", what applies to published minimum
altitudes other than DH and MDA on approach plates? Most people will
say that you are not supposed to descend any amount below the DH/MDA
altitudes. Does this also apply to procedure turn altitudes,
transitions etc.? Is there a tolerance that is in effect +200 -0
that applies?

In practical terms, whereas a decent of 100 ft below an assigned
altitude will cause no problems, is such a decent of 50-100' below a
published procedure turn altitude, transition altitude enough to get
in trouble?

John


The practical test standards are simply wrong when it comes to MEAs or
any minimum altitude on an IAP.

The minimum is the minimum by law...period.

The only exception is not really an exception at all, DA. As a matter
of regulation DA does not have the word "minimum" associated with it.
Instead, at DA the decision must be made to continue descent with
visual reference or begin the missed approach.


This is in line with what I thought from a strictly legalistic
standpoint. But in practical real world terms, does this mean that if
you are hand flying an approach and say are in a procedure turn, you
will fly 100' above the published altitude to avoid going below? Or do
most ppl just fly the published altitude (I'm talking transition or PT
or something other than "close to the ground") and not worry about +/-
100 ft?

John

I wouldn't worry about the regulation until passing the IF, where
obstacle clearance becomes 500 feet (perhaps less because of temperature
or other altimeter errors).

The PTS limits MDA to +100 feet, - zero feet, which is very important at
that point.