A non standard approach clearance is issued for arrival at mdst.

Attributes
ACN	583750
Time
Date	200306
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	FO
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mdsd.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	583750
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Descending into santiago, dominican republic, we were cleared from a point east of puerto plata, direct to igrum for the VOR DME runway 11. We were in VMC conditions and twilight. We were stepped down to 6000 ft and then told we were cleared the approach. As we neared igrum, we asked for lower and were told that we were cleared for the approach. Since we were not on a published part of the approach, that clearance would not allow us to dscnd below 6000 ft until reaching igrum, which has a recommended crossing altitude of 3100 ft. We ended up angling over to a point near omrup, which is on the 12 DME arc, and starting our descent from there. We were basically visual the entire time. My concern is that approach does not realize that the clearance they gave does not allow for a descent in time to land at the field. A better procedure would be to clear aircraft to either perpa or omrup, so that a descent can be made on a published approach procedure. This was my first time to santiago, dominican republic, so I do not know if this is the standard clearance being given.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NON STANDARD APCH CLRNC IS ISSUED FOR ARR AT MDST.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO SANTIAGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, WE WERE CLRED FROM A POINT E OF PUERTO PLATA, DIRECT TO IGRUM FOR THE VOR DME RWY 11. WE WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS AND TWILIGHT. WE WERE STEPPED DOWN TO 6000 FT AND THEN TOLD WE WERE CLRED THE APCH. AS WE NEARED IGRUM, WE ASKED FOR LOWER AND WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. SINCE WE WERE NOT ON A PUBLISHED PART OF THE APCH, THAT CLRNC WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO DSCND BELOW 6000 FT UNTIL REACHING IGRUM, WHICH HAS A RECOMMENDED XING ALT OF 3100 FT. WE ENDED UP ANGLING OVER TO A POINT NEAR OMRUP, WHICH IS ON THE 12 DME ARC, AND STARTING OUR DSCNT FROM THERE. WE WERE BASICALLY VISUAL THE ENTIRE TIME. MY CONCERN IS THAT APCH DOES NOT REALIZE THAT THE CLRNC THEY GAVE DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A DSCNT IN TIME TO LAND AT THE FIELD. A BETTER PROC WOULD BE TO CLR ACFT TO EITHER PERPA OR OMRUP, SO THAT A DSCNT CAN BE MADE ON A PUBLISHED APCH PROC. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME TO SANTIAGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, SO I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS THE STANDARD CLRNC BEING GIVEN.

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.