Definition
An official FAA form titled 'Minimum Turning Altitude (MTA) Evaluation,' used by procedure designers to document the evaluation and establishment of a Minimum Turning Altitude at a high-altitude airway intersection where a turn of more than 15 degrees occurs. The form records the obstacle clearance analysis that supports publishing an MTA on en route charts.
Plain English
It is the FAA paperwork used to work out and record a safe minimum altitude for turning at a specific airway junction when the turn is sharp enough to need extra room for obstacles.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbook discussions about how Minimum Turning Altitudes are created and documented. Pilots normally see the resulting MTA on the published procedure, not the form itself.
Derivation
“FAA” means Federal Aviation Administration. The number “8260” identifies a family of FAA flight-procedure forms, and “16” identifies this specific form within that family.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots do not fill out this form, but the MTA values it produces appear on en route charts and must be respected when turning at affected intersections. Knowing where MTAs come from helps explain why a higher altitude is sometimes required at a turn point even when the airway minimum is lower.
Intuition Check
Do not treat FAA Form 8260-16 as a chart or checklist used in flight. It is an official FAA source record used to support information that later appears on the published procedure.
Example Sentence 1
The MTA shown at the intersection on the high-altitude chart was established through an FAA Form 8260-16 evaluation by the procedure designer.
Example Sentence 2
Before publishing the new approach, the team verified all entries on FAA Form 8260-16 for obstacle clearance compliance.