Narrative:

Small aircraft was inbound VFR to an uncontrolled field 5 mi north of pdx. About 15 mi from the field, small aircraft reported cloud layers, requested a 'vector'. I offered an IFR clearance, he agreed to one. I cleared small aircraft to 'battleground VOR, maintain 4000''. Unfortunately, small aircraft was in an area with an MVA of 6000. The pilot twice questioned the MVA for his area, I told him 6000, but still assigned 4000. In my mind his clearance didn't start until btg VOR where I knew 4000 was an acceptable altitude. I should have let common sense be my guide instead of a misconception about clrncs to airborne aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 114642: pdx asked if I wanted an IFR clearance. I responded in the affirmative and he cleared me to 'btl VOR, cleared to 4000'.' I started a descent assuming that I was much closer to the VOR than I thought I was or he would have had me climb to the MEA or MVA instead of descending me. At about 5000' I broke out of the clouds and saw what I thought was another layer of heavy clouds and about this time pdx said he lost my transponder. I took another look at the clouds I was about to enter and decided they were terra-firma types and did a maximum performance back into the overcast. Shortly the controller said he had recovered my transponder. I rogered and when I had everything back under control, I asked what his MVA was when he cleared me to 4000. His response '7000 but you weren't on a vector'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONTROLLED FLT TOWARD TERRAIN, CTLR ERROR.

Narrative: SMA WAS INBND VFR TO AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD 5 MI N OF PDX. ABOUT 15 MI FROM THE FIELD, SMA REPORTED CLOUD LAYERS, REQUESTED A 'VECTOR'. I OFFERED AN IFR CLRNC, HE AGREED TO ONE. I CLRED SMA TO 'BATTLEGROUND VOR, MAINTAIN 4000''. UNFORTUNATELY, SMA WAS IN AN AREA WITH AN MVA OF 6000. THE PLT TWICE QUESTIONED THE MVA FOR HIS AREA, I TOLD HIM 6000, BUT STILL ASSIGNED 4000. IN MY MIND HIS CLRNC DIDN'T START UNTIL BTG VOR WHERE I KNEW 4000 WAS AN ACCEPTABLE ALT. I SHOULD HAVE LET COMMON SENSE BE MY GUIDE INSTEAD OF A MISCONCEPTION ABOUT CLRNCS TO AIRBORNE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 114642: PDX ASKED IF I WANTED AN IFR CLRNC. I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND HE CLRED ME TO 'BTL VOR, CLRED TO 4000'.' I STARTED A DSCNT ASSUMING THAT I WAS MUCH CLOSER TO THE VOR THAN I THOUGHT I WAS OR HE WOULD HAVE HAD ME CLIMB TO THE MEA OR MVA INSTEAD OF DESCENDING ME. AT ABOUT 5000' I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ANOTHER LAYER OF HEAVY CLOUDS AND ABOUT THIS TIME PDX SAID HE LOST MY XPONDER. I TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT THE CLOUDS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER AND DECIDED THEY WERE TERRA-FIRMA TYPES AND DID A MAX PERFORMANCE BACK INTO THE OVERCAST. SHORTLY THE CTLR SAID HE HAD RECOVERED MY XPONDER. I ROGERED AND WHEN I HAD EVERYTHING BACK UNDER CONTROL, I ASKED WHAT HIS MVA WAS WHEN HE CLRED ME TO 4000. HIS RESPONSE '7000 BUT YOU WEREN'T ON A VECTOR'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.