ACR PIC QUESTIONS LEGALITY OF OP INTO TWR CLOSED ARPT ON SCHEDULED 121 OP.
Synopsis
ACR PIC QUESTIONS LEGALITY OF OP INTO TWR CLOSED ARPT ON SCHEDULED 121 OP.
Narrative
WAS DISPATCHED TO JAMAICA-MONTEGO BAY ARPT FROM IND IN LGT ACFT. DURING THE COURSE OF PREPARING FOR DEP; WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE MONTEGO BAY ARPT WAS CLOSED DUE TO A CTLR'S STRIKE. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY OUR DISPATCH THAT THE AIRSPACE AROUND JAMAICA WAS OPEN AND THAT THE FIR AREA WAS BEING HANDLED BY SUPVRS ON DUTY. WE ASSUMED THAT WE COULD GET A CLRNC INTO THEIR AIRSPACE TO CONTINUE ON TO MONTEGO BAY. WHILE ENRTE; WE CHANGED OUR DEST TO THE KINGSTON ARPT DUE TO THE TWR BEING CLOSED AT MONTEGO BAY. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE OPTION OF ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT MONTEGO BAY IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET TA'S FROM TFC AT; IN; AND AROUND THE MONTEGO BAY ARPT. UPON ARRIVING AT THE KINGSTON FIR BOUNDARY; WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH KINGSTON CTR AND THEY ADVISED US RADAR CONTACT -- CLRED US DOWN TO 13000 FT AND TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NO TFC BTWN US AND THE ARPT (MONTEGO BAY). WE CONTINUED AND GOT TA'S FROM OTHER ACFT OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF THE MONTEGO BAY ARPT; AND IN FACT; LANDED AT THE ARPT. SEEING AS HOW THERE IS A LARGE PROB WITH COM WITH COUNTRIES WHOSE CTLRS DON'T SPEAK VERY GOOD ENGLISH ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER WE WERE ACTUALLY IFR OR VFR IN THE KINGSTON AIRSPACE; I BELIEVE THAT OPERATING IN THIS TYPE OF A SIT IS A MARGINAL SIT IN RESPECT TO SEE AND AVOID RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CREW. SEEING AS HOW OUR OPS SPECS ALLOW US TO CONDUCT FLT IN BOTH UNCTLED AND CTLED AIRSPACE AND IN AND OUT OF CLOSED ARPT TFC TWR CTLED ARPTS; WE CONDUCTED THE OP SINCE WE MET ALL THE CRITERIA AS FAR AS WX AND COM ARE CONCERNED. AS TO WHETHER WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN KINGSTON AIRSPACE IS ANYBODY'S GUESS. WE WERE ALSO ISSUED A CLRNC ONCE OFF THE GND BY KINGSTON CTR AND CONTINUED (WE GOT THE CLRNC TO CLB TO 28000 FT AND PROCEED TO FIR BOUNDARY WHILE WE WERE STILL WITHIN 50 MI OF THE MONTEGO BAY ARPT) TOWARDS OUR DEST OF IND AND CONTACTED THE HAVANA CTR WHILE STILL IN KINGSTON AIRSPACE; AND WAS ISSUED A CLRNC TO CONTINUE ON OUR FLT PLAN RTE AND CLB TO 31000 FT. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST CAUTION TO ANYONE OPERATING IN AND OUT OF FOREIGN AIRSPACE IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA. THEIR RULES OFTEN CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE ENOUGH GAS TO BE ABLE TO DEVIATE AROUND THEIR AREA IF POSSIBLE. ALSO; MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BACK UP PLAN FOR RETURNING TO YOUR ORIGINAL DEST IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO GET FURTHER CLRNC FROM FIR CTLRS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.