SMT ASSIGNED IFR ALT BELOW MVA. SYS ERROR. PLTDEV.

Narrative

A TRAINING FLT FOR 2 QUALIFIED ME PLTS WAS SCHEDULED FROM ALTUS MUNICIPAL TO CLINTON-SHERMAN AND BACK (CLINTON- SHERMAN APPROX 40 NM N OF ALTUS). WX BRIEF INDICATED 4000 OVCST 15 MI VISIBILITY FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. A LOOK OUTSIDE SUGGESTED THE FORECAST WAS OFF THE MARK AND AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS QUICKLY FILED AT 3000 FT (A COMMON VFR ALT USED FOR THIS TYPE OF FLT) DIRECT TO BURNS FLAT VOR. SHORTLY AFTER LEVEL OFF AT 3000 (CLRNC WAS RECEIVED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF FROM ALTUS DEP); THE PLTS (WHO WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA) REALIZED THAT MSA WAS 3600 AND QUERIED CTLR TO MVA WHICH THE CTLR REPLIED WAS ALSO 3600 FT. PLTS REQUESTED IMMEDIATE CLB TO 5000 FT AND IT WAS GRANTED. CONDITIONS WERE IFR. THE CAUSE WAS IMPROPER FLT PLANNING (FAILURE TO CHK OBSTACLE CLRNC ON AN OFF AIRWAY/DIRECT RTING). LUCKILY THE PF CAUGHT THIS MISTAKE AND CORRECTED IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY (EVEN SO WE STILL HAD OVER 600 FT CLRNC FROM HIGHEST OBSTACLE). THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE DEP CTLR NEVER SAID A WORD EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT WAS HEADED TOWARDS THE HIGHEST TERRAIN IN THE QUADRANT. OBSTACLE CLRNC OFF AIRWAY IS PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY; BUT CTLRS ARE SUPPOSED TO ADVISE OF LOW ALT TIME/WORKLOAD PERMITTING. WE WERE THE ONLY CIVIL ACFT BEING CTLED AT THE TIME AND THE MIL WAS NOT FLYING THAT DAY. A CALL TO DEP THE NEXT DAY INDICATED THE LOW LEVEL ALT WARNING SYS (LLAWS) WAS ACTIVE AND THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE WARNING AS WE WERE MORE THAN 100 FT BELOW MVA AS WELL AS HE READ US THE CLRNC; YET NO MENTION OF OUR LOW ALT WAS MADE BECAUSE IT IS 'OPTIONAL' AND THE CTLR 'OPTED' NOT TO BOTHER. THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; CTLRS NEED TO BACK UP PLTS AND VICE VERSA. ALTUS DEP GAVE THE IMPRESSION ON THE TELEPHONE THAT IF A PLT FLEW INTO THE GND THAT IS SAD BUT NOT THEIR FAULT -- IT'S ONLY AN OPTION TO WARN THE PLT.