I90 controllers reported that a PA28 aircraft was on a vector below the minimum vectoring altitude a...

Attributes
ACN	1414296
Time
Date	201701
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	I90.TRACON
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5
Person 2
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 7
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

I was relieving a controller off of finals and getting ready to brief my trainee on the position she was about to get into. I put my presets up and I notice aircraft X at 2800 feet inside of the 3000 foot minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) abeam and north of the antennas. I told the trainee to wait a second and asked the relieved controller 'what's he doing again?' the answer was 'direct elren because he wanted the visual.' I called the operations manager (OM) over and asked had the rules changed for discontinuing vertical separation from an obstruction? He said 'no...I don't think so'. Aircraft X was at 2300 feet past the antennas. I asked if he had the airport in sight. He said yes; I have the airport in sight; however he was looking for runway 4. I cleared him for the visual approach runway 4 and switched him to the tower. I asked my OM who listened to the audio if aircraft X descended on his own. He was given a descend and maintain by the previous controller.controllers should know the rules and not be lazy and giving in to what the pilot wants.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: I90 Controllers reported that a PA28 aircraft was on a vector below the Minimum vectoring Altitude and less than three miles from the obstruction depicted on the radar display.

Narrative: I was relieving a controller off of Finals and getting ready to brief my trainee on the position she was about to get into. I put my presets up and I notice Aircraft X at 2800 feet inside of the 3000 foot Minimum Vectoring Altitude (MVA) abeam and north of the antennas. I told the trainee to wait a second and asked the relieved controller 'what's he doing again?' The answer was 'direct ELREN because he wanted the visual.' I called the Operations Manager (OM) over and asked had the rules changed for discontinuing vertical separation from an obstruction? He said 'no...I don't think so'. Aircraft X was at 2300 feet past the antennas. I asked if he had the airport in sight. He said yes; I have the airport in sight; however he was looking for runway 4. I cleared him for the Visual Approach runway 4 and switched him to the Tower. I asked my OM who listened to the audio if Aircraft X descended on his own. He was given a descend and maintain by the previous controller.Controllers should know the rules and not be lazy and giving in to what the pilot wants.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

I90 controllers reported that a PA28 aircraft was on a vector below the minimum vectoring altitude and less than three miles from the obstruction depicted on the radar display.