Narrative:

We were cleared for approach to spokane international airport ILS runway 21. At time we were on vectors, approximate heading of 260 degrees inbound from southeast. Our flight was from chicago. Initially about 25 mi out, cleared to 8000 ft. I was flying and had briefed MSA altitudes. It was noted that 8000 ft put us 900 ft above MSA. I briefed a CAT I and CAT ii approach as WX was 5 broken 1 1/2 south.F. Briefed that with terrain if we got GPWS we were out of there for go around. As flight progressed approach control at spokane kept giving us lower and lower altitudes. 15 mi out we were given 5000 ft then 4000 ft. On approach page or plate for ILS runway 21, altitude for the ILS outside of phort OM is 4300 ft, however, if it is a localizer approach descent to 3600 is allowed. From heading and vector we were being given we saw that we would be almost at phort OM before localizer capture. Just outside of phort we were 'cleared to 3000 until established on localizer, cleared ILS 21 approach at spokane.' I saw we were below GS but thought since the intercept was so close to phort that approach was trying to keep us coming down. Once established on localizer, approach gave us a safety advisory that we were below safe vectoring altitude for that part of approach, and that we should be at 3700 ft. My altitude was 3300 ft. I immediately added power, and below GS light came on simultaneously. I reintercepted GS and landed without any problem. Both captain and I heard and responded to 'cleared to 3000 until established, cleared ILS 21 approach.' we trusted approach to be providing us with terrain protection, but they were not. If I would have just followed GS down I would have been all right, just do the approach as on plate it would be fine but spokane approach bears a responsibility for setting a crew up for this. They cleared us to 3000 ft. We should have questioned it since airport elevation is 2370 ft but they consistently do this in both visual and IMC conditions. In future I will not be led down the dark path by ATC without knowing why. Also, it is of utmost importance to know terrain, be vigilant, not become complacent about ATC providing terrain clearance for you. There are traps I found out, that while legal, it may not be safe. Spokane is a problem, both with terrain, but also of poor handling of large turbo jet aircraft. They try to control us like smaller aircraft, but it just doesn't work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had little to add to his report. He is not certain in his mind that the controller gave them a bad altitude. Not a normal procedure. Unknown why controller would give so low an altitude that does not appear to be legal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG CLRED TO 3000 ON A LOC GS ILS 205 DEG AT SPOKANE HAD GPWS. FO FLYING CLBED TO INTERCEPT GS AND PROCEEDED WITH APCH AND LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH TO SPOKANE INTL ARPT ILS RWY 21. AT TIME WE WERE ON VECTORS, APPROXIMATE HDG OF 260 DEGS INBOUND FROM SE. OUR FLT WAS FROM CHICAGO. INITIALLY ABOUT 25 MI OUT, CLRED TO 8000 FT. I WAS FLYING AND HAD BRIEFED MSA ALTS. IT WAS NOTED THAT 8000 FT PUT US 900 FT ABOVE MSA. I BRIEFED A CAT I AND CAT II APCH AS WX WAS 5 BROKEN 1 1/2 S.F. BRIEFED THAT WITH TERRAIN IF WE GOT GPWS WE WERE OUT OF THERE FOR GAR. AS FLT PROGRESSED APCH CTL AT SPOKANE KEPT GIVING US LOWER AND LOWER ALTS. 15 MI OUT WE WERE GIVEN 5000 FT THEN 4000 FT. ON APCH PAGE OR PLATE FOR ILS RWY 21, ALT FOR THE ILS OUTSIDE OF PHORT OM IS 4300 FT, HOWEVER, IF IT IS A LOC APCH DSCNT TO 3600 IS ALLOWED. FROM HDG AND VECTOR WE WERE BEING GIVEN WE SAW THAT WE WOULD BE ALMOST AT PHORT OM BEFORE LOC CAPTURE. JUST OUTSIDE OF PHORT WE WERE 'CLRED TO 3000 UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON LOC, CLRED ILS 21 APCH AT SPOKANE.' I SAW WE WERE BELOW GS BUT THOUGHT SINCE THE INTERCEPT WAS SO CLOSE TO PHORT THAT APCH WAS TRYING TO KEEP US COMING DOWN. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON LOC, APCH GAVE US A SAFETY ADVISORY THAT WE WERE BELOW SAFE VECTORING ALT FOR THAT PART OF APCH, AND THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 3700 FT. MY ALT WAS 3300 FT. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED PWR, AND BELOW GS LIGHT CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. I REINTERCEPTED GS AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. BOTH CAPT AND I HEARD AND RESPONDED TO 'CLRED TO 3000 UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CLRED ILS 21 APCH.' WE TRUSTED APCH TO BE PROVIDING US WITH TERRAIN PROTECTION, BUT THEY WERE NOT. IF I WOULD HAVE JUST FOLLOWED GS DOWN I WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL RIGHT, JUST DO THE APCH AS ON PLATE IT WOULD BE FINE BUT SPOKANE APCH BEARS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR SETTING A CREW UP FOR THIS. THEY CLRED US TO 3000 FT. WE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED IT SINCE ARPT ELEVATION IS 2370 FT BUT THEY CONSISTENTLY DO THIS IN BOTH VISUAL AND IMC CONDITIONS. IN FUTURE I WILL NOT BE LED DOWN THE DARK PATH BY ATC WITHOUT KNOWING WHY. ALSO, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO KNOW TERRAIN, BE VIGILANT, NOT BECOME COMPLACENT ABOUT ATC PROVIDING TERRAIN CLRNC FOR YOU. THERE ARE TRAPS I FOUND OUT, THAT WHILE LEGAL, IT MAY NOT BE SAFE. SPOKANE IS A PROBLEM, BOTH WITH TERRAIN, BUT ALSO OF POOR HANDLING OF LARGE TURBO JET ACFT. THEY TRY TO CTL US LIKE SMALLER ACFT, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD LITTLE TO ADD TO HIS RPT. HE IS NOT CERTAIN IN HIS MIND THAT THE CTLR GAVE THEM A BAD ALT. NOT A NORMAL PROC. UNKNOWN WHY CTLR WOULD GIVE SO LOW AN ALT THAT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE LEGAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.