RussR
En-Route
Recently, I was flying the RNAV (GPS) RWY 7 into I19, Greene County, Ohio, in IMC (attached) - LNAV minimums.
I was cleared direct to UYOKO for the straight-in, which is what I requested. I maintained 2700 until the FAF, WANKU, then began a descent to 1820 for the stepdown fix NINRE. Knowing that the cloud ceiling was at about 1900, I did descend a little faster than a truly stabilized approach would warrant, but nothing too amazing.
On passing something like 2000, the controller came on the air, saying "Nxxx, low altitude alert, check altitude immediately, minimum altitude in your area is XXXX" (I forget, but it was something like 2000). I could hear the MSAW alert in the background as well. I responded something like "Roger" and simply continued the approach since I was breaking out and could see that I was at about the right altitude.
I can't recall ever getting a low altitude alert from ATC while on an approach before - are those alerts usually disregarded or inhibited by ATC for aircraft on an approach (since obviously you have to go below the MVA at some point in your approach), or was something different this time? Or was this a controller error (she did seem to be in training)? Had the ceiling been lower, like 500 feet, it would have caused me some concern that my equipment was off, and I might no longer receive compliments on its accuracy.
But she had properly confirmed my altitude/altimeter setting/Mode C readout on initial call, so it shouldn't have been an equipment problem on my side. And it read correctly on the ground after landing.
Any wisdom on what happened here?
I was cleared direct to UYOKO for the straight-in, which is what I requested. I maintained 2700 until the FAF, WANKU, then began a descent to 1820 for the stepdown fix NINRE. Knowing that the cloud ceiling was at about 1900, I did descend a little faster than a truly stabilized approach would warrant, but nothing too amazing.
On passing something like 2000, the controller came on the air, saying "Nxxx, low altitude alert, check altitude immediately, minimum altitude in your area is XXXX" (I forget, but it was something like 2000). I could hear the MSAW alert in the background as well. I responded something like "Roger" and simply continued the approach since I was breaking out and could see that I was at about the right altitude.
I can't recall ever getting a low altitude alert from ATC while on an approach before - are those alerts usually disregarded or inhibited by ATC for aircraft on an approach (since obviously you have to go below the MVA at some point in your approach), or was something different this time? Or was this a controller error (she did seem to be in training)? Had the ceiling been lower, like 500 feet, it would have caused me some concern that my equipment was off, and I might no longer receive compliments on its accuracy.
But she had properly confirmed my altitude/altimeter setting/Mode C readout on initial call, so it shouldn't have been an equipment problem on my side. And it read correctly on the ground after landing.
Any wisdom on what happened here?