LGT DSNDED BELOW MEA BY NON RADAR APCH CTLR. SYS ERROR. SIT: MEDICAL WAIVER FOR HEARING LOSS.

Narrative

ISSUING LETTERS OF DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO AIR TFC CTLRS AT GJTT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. (LETTER OF DEMONSTRATED ABILITY FOR HEARING LOSS.) I CANNOT GIVE YOU ANY SPECIFICS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHO RPTED THIS IF I DO. HOW CAN THE FAA JUSTIFY ISSUING MEDICAL WAIVERS FOR A COMPLETE HEARING LOSS IN 1 EAR. ALLOWING PEOPLE TO USE A HIGHER VOLUME LEVEL IS DISTRACTING TO OTHER CTLRS; WHICH IS INSIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO A MISUNDERSTOOD ALT OR POS OF AN ACFT. THE SUPVR HAS INDICATED ALL THE CTLR WITH THE MEDICAL WAIVER HAS TO DO IS RAISE THE VOLUME LEVEL. THAT IS VERY DISTRACTING TO OTHER CTLRS WORKING OTHER POS. THESE PEOPLE ARE ALSO NOT WEARING THEIR HEARING AIDS. LGT INBOUND FROM THE NE ON THE GJT 060 DEG RADIAL. PLT RPTED 42 MI NE OF GJT VORTAC. CTLR APPARENTLY HEARD 22 MI NE AND ISSUED A DSCNT TO 10100 FT. THE MEA IN THAT AREA IS 13000 FT. I THOUGHT I HEARD THE PLT SAY 42 SO I ASKED THE APCH CTLR 'HOW FAR AWAY DID HE SAY HE WAS?' HE STATED 22 MI. APPROX 2 MINS PASSED. THE CTLR ASKED THE PLT FOR HIS POS. THE PLT SAID HE WAS 34 MI FROM THE GJT VORTAC. THE CTLR QUESTIONED THE PLT'S INITIAL POS RPT. THE PLT THEN STATED HE WAS AT 11400 FT WHICH WAS 1600 FT BELOW THE MEA. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO MAINTAIN HIS PRESENT ALT OF 11400 FT. THE MEA DOES NOT DECREASE TO 10100 FT UNTIL 25 MI NE OF GJT VORTAC.