When can you descend

[100LL... Again!]

I read the TERPS. The whole thing.

 

[profile]

Then I don't have to explain it to you. Why don't you take this up with Wally Roberts, you can find him at www.avsig.com, where he's a regular poster?

 

[Donsa320]

RE; The relevant crash was in the 70's, an arrival to Dulles, I believe. 727 or -9. Eastern? Accident aircraft was cleared for approach while still a ways out. And was not yet 'established' on any published segment of the approach procedure. And terminology back then was simply "cleared for the approach". Descended into terrain.


It was a TWA 727 which had missed at DCA and was divertiing to IAD. In days long ago, in the 4 course range days, when you picked up an approach chart the initial altitude shown over the station was a safe alititude to fly when approaching the station on any airway using that facility. The TWA crew used that logic, as we all did in those days, to start a descent enroute to the depicted intersection shown as the first part of the NO PT VOR approach that they were cleared to fly. They hit Mt. Weather on the way. To the crews' credit, they were discussing whether they were doing it correctly when they hit.