ATC facility closure during holidays and other times restricts instrument approachs to airport.

Attributes
ACN	106178
Time
Date	198903
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 73j
State Reference	SC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tus
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	106178
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

A potentially dangerous situation exists in the area covered by the beaufort, sc, approach/departure control area. Beaufort approach closes operations on holidays and other times west/O notice and west/O NOTAMS to FSS. Thus, a pilot flying IFR into 73J does not know until he arrives that there is no instrument approach available to him. The only approach at this airport is an ASR approach, which of course required ATC participation. The pilot is left at the most critical phase of flight west/O ATC assistance or advance warning. Pilots then have to get down the best way they can or go elsewhere.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC FAC CLOSURE DURING HOLIDAYS AND OTHER TIMES RESTRICTS INSTRUMENT APCHS TO ARPT.

Narrative: A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION EXISTS IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE BEAUFORT, SC, APCH/DEP CTL AREA. BEAUFORT APCH CLOSES OPS ON HOLIDAYS AND OTHER TIMES W/O NOTICE AND W/O NOTAMS TO FSS. THUS, A PLT FLYING IFR INTO 73J DOES NOT KNOW UNTIL HE ARRIVES THAT THERE IS NO INSTRUMENT APCH AVAILABLE TO HIM. THE ONLY APCH AT THIS ARPT IS AN ASR APCH, WHICH OF COURSE REQUIRED ATC PARTICIPATION. THE PLT IS LEFT AT THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT W/O ATC ASSISTANCE OR ADVANCE WARNING. PLTS THEN HAVE TO GET DOWN THE BEST WAY THEY CAN OR GO ELSEWHERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.