Narrative:

I was working at csg approach as the radar associate assisting the west sector radar controller. The aircraft small transport was established on the final approach course of the VOR runway 28 approach into auo airport. Our facility has a rco on the field at auo as it is too far away for aircraft on the ground to reach us on our standard frequency for which the transmitter is located at csg. The radar controller advised the aircraft to 'change to my frequency 118.7, no need to call.' this is the rco frequency at auo. I immediately pointed out that the frequency was out of service and the controller was able to catch the pilot before he switched frequencys. Had I not been monitoring the frequency at the moment that the instruction was issued, the aircraft would have been out of touch until he touched down, tried to call, taxied in and phoned. Contributing factors: improper phraseology and technique by the radar controller. It is not appropriate to tell a pilot to change frequencys and not check in. The lack of a NOTAM on the rco being OTS. Even though it had been OTS for several days and auo is a NOTAM (D) airport, our supervisors did not ever issue a NOTAM, thus the pilot may not have been aware of the outage, even though he is based at that airport. I think it may be time to review NOTAM procedures with ATC supervisors. I have also seen our supervisors not NOTAM rco outages at euf, another NOTAM (D) airport outside the coverage of our primary frequencys and also I had to encourage a NOTAM be issued for an outage here at our primary airport (csg) which otherwise would not have been issued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTAM NOT ISSUED ON FREQ OUTAGE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AT CSG APCH AS THE RADAR ASSOCIATE ASSISTING THE W SECTOR RADAR CTLR. THE ACFT SMT WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE OF THE VOR RWY 28 APCH INTO AUO ARPT. OUR FAC HAS A RCO ON THE FIELD AT AUO AS IT IS TOO FAR AWAY FOR ACFT ON THE GND TO REACH US ON OUR STANDARD FREQ FOR WHICH THE XMITTER IS LOCATED AT CSG. THE RADAR CTLR ADVISED THE ACFT TO 'CHANGE TO MY FREQ 118.7, NO NEED TO CALL.' THIS IS THE RCO FREQ AT AUO. I IMMEDIATELY POINTED OUT THAT THE FREQ WAS OUT OF SVC AND THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE PLT BEFORE HE SWITCHED FREQS. HAD I NOT BEEN MONITORING THE FREQ AT THE MOMENT THAT THE INSTRUCTION WAS ISSUED, THE ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF TOUCH UNTIL HE TOUCHED DOWN, TRIED TO CALL, TAXIED IN AND PHONED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IMPROPER PHRASEOLOGY AND TECHNIQUE BY THE RADAR CTLR. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO TELL A PLT TO CHANGE FREQS AND NOT CHK IN. THE LACK OF A NOTAM ON THE RCO BEING OTS. EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN OTS FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND AUO IS A NOTAM (D) ARPT, OUR SUPVRS DID NOT EVER ISSUE A NOTAM, THUS THE PLT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE OUTAGE, EVEN THOUGH HE IS BASED AT THAT ARPT. I THINK IT MAY BE TIME TO REVIEW NOTAM PROCS WITH ATC SUPVRS. I HAVE ALSO SEEN OUR SUPVRS NOT NOTAM RCO OUTAGES AT EUF, ANOTHER NOTAM (D) ARPT OUTSIDE THE COVERAGE OF OUR PRIMARY FREQS AND ALSO I HAD TO ENCOURAGE A NOTAM BE ISSUED FOR AN OUTAGE HERE AT OUR PRIMARY ARPT (CSG) WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ISSUED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.