Greg Esres wrote:

MVA trumps MSA, and that is what was issued. Published 2800 would be
required if no radar.

MSA is irrelevant, except in an emergency. And MVA only trumps the
2800 if being RADAR VECTORED to the final approach course. In this
case, the pilot was flying a non-radar procedure in a radar
environment. ATC should have given him no altitude below 2800.


Not so with this past February's AIM and ATC procedure change:

"AIM 5-4-7

i. ATC may clear aircraft that have filed an Advanced RNAV equipment
suffix to the intermediate fix when clearing aircraft for an instrument
approach procedure. ATC will take the following actions when clearing
Advanced RNAV aircraft to the intermediate fix:
1. Provide radar monitoring to the intermediate fix.
2. Advise the pilot to expect clearance direct to the intermediate fix
at least 5 miles from the fix.
NOTE-
This is to allow the pilot to program the RNAV equipment to allow the
aircraft to fly to the intermediate fix when cleared by ATC.
3. Assign an altitude to maintain until the intermediate fix.
4. Insure the aircraft is on a course that will intercept the
intermediate segment at an angle not greater than 90 degrees and is at
an altitude that will permit normal descent from the intermediate fix to
the final approach fix."

Item 1 "Radar Monitor" is the functional equivalent to a radar vector
for purposes of this provision. That was all explained in the preamble
to the change, which appeared in this news group a while back.