FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT COMMENCED AN INST DME ARC APCH NO LONGER AUTH. FAA FSS INQUIRY AT THE START OF THE ARC HELPED RPTR TO MAINTAIN ALT AND ABANDON THE ARC.
Synopsis
FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT COMMENCED AN INST DME ARC APCH NO LONGER AUTH. FAA FSS INQUIRY AT THE START OF THE ARC HELPED RPTR TO MAINTAIN ALT AND ABANDON THE ARC.
Narrative
ILS DME 2 RWY 11 APCH FLOWN INTO KETCHIKAN; AK; FROM OVER ANN VOR USING THE ANN 30 DME ARC. CREW WAS NOT AWARE THAT A NOTAM EXISTED SAYING THE ARC WAS NOT AUTHORIZED. I SCANNED ABOUT 20 PAGES OF PAPERWORK (WX; FORECASTS; ENRTE WINDS; AREA WX; FACILITIES RPTS; NOTAMS; ETC.); CHKED THE FLT PLANS FOR 5 LEGS; ORDERED FUEL; SIGNED THE RELEASE; AND HURRIED TO THE ACFT. FLT DEPARTED ON TIME FOR KTN; WRG; PSG; SIT; AND JNU. ATIS IN KTN RPTED SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS AND WINDS THAT FAVORED RWY 11. ZAN TOLD US TO 'MAINTAIN 7000 UNTIL ON A PUBLISHED PORTION OF THE APCH; RADAR SVC TERMINATED; CONTACT KTN FSS OVER ANN.' NEITHER ZAN NOR ATIS MENTIONED THAT THE ARC WAS NOT AUTHORIZED. OVER ANN; WE CONTACTED KTN FSS AND RPTED 'OVER ANN ON THE LDA DME 2 RWY 11.' KTN SAID TO 'RPT THE 11 DME FIX FOR TA'S.' SO FAR; EVERYTHING SEEMED STANDARD. BUT; AS WE TURNED ONTO THE ARC; KTN FSS CALLED AND SAID; 'ACR ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE ARC IS NOT AUTHORIZED?' I SAID; 'NO SIR; WE'RE NOT.' HE SAID; 'MAINTAIN 6000 UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE LOC.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLETED THE APCH. AFTER LNDG WE FOUND THE NOTAM: '30 DME ARC FROM DWARF N/A.' THEN BELOW THAT IT SAID; 'THIS ALSO PERTAINS TO THE LDA DME 2.' I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR CHKING THE NOTAMS; AND I DID. BUT; THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NOTAM DID NOT REGISTER. WE ALWAYS USE THE ARC; BUT WE NEVER USE DWARF; AND I DIDN'T NOTICE THE 'ALSO PERTAINS' PORTION. I BELIEVE THAT THE SYS LET ME DOWN WHEN: 1) SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT WAS BURIED IN 20 PAGES OF PAPERWORK. 2) DISPATCH DIDN'T MENTION IT. 3) ATIS DIDN'T MENTION IT. 4) ZAN DIDN'T MENTION IT. 5) KTN FSS DIDN'T MENTION IT UNTIL I WAS ON THE ARC. I ASSURE YOU I'VE LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON. BUT; I HOPE THIS RPT WILL HELP YOU MAKE CHANGES TO THE SYS SO THAT SOMETHING IMPORTANT CAN BE EMPHASIZED A LITTLE BETTER.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.