MD-82
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Human-Machine Interface; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
General None Reported / Taken
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
Planned TYSSN3 arrival in LAS; ATC cleared us to descend via TYSSN3 RNAV arrival. At KADDY; after starting a descent to 10;000 FT; ATC cleared us to maintain 12;000 FT and to contact LAS Approach. Approach gave us a vector at TYSSN and informed us that we would fly the GRNPA1 RNAV arrival. After several vectors and descend to 8;000 FT we were cleared direct to TRROP at 5;200 FT at 210 KTS; first point for us on the arrival. After that clearance we were cleared to 'intercept the 19R RNAV approach off of the GRNPA1 arrival.' There are NO points on the GRNPA1 arrival that are on the 19R RNAV approach. The last point on the GRNPA1 arrival is LEMNZ and you must fly through the final approach inside the FAF to get to it. I think this is an illegal clearance. We were told by Approach to contact LAS Tower. We asked LAS Tower about the clearance and were recleared the visual approach to 19L. The landing was uneventful. After landing I called the LAS Approach Control Supervisor and was told that was a legal clearance for the 19R RNAV visual approach. I could not find any information on a 19R RNAV visual approach.Remake the GRNPA1 arrival to have a longer transition to the 19 runways or delete it. Both 19R and 19L RNAV arrivals have the exact same points up to the FAF. The MAP points are the only differences in the approach. Possible problems in the future of having the wrong approach loaded in the GPS and landing on the wrong runway.
An MD-82 Captain believed a LAS TRACON clearance to intercept the GRANPA RNAV STAR at TRROP; cleared for the RNAV 19R approach was illegal.