Narrative:

On a flight from rochester, ny to rutland, vt on V496, I believed the 4500' MEA on the current NOAA en route low altitude chart to be current. I was wrong. At 7000' I was below the current MEA of 10000' (I think). ATC informed me that gfl was unusable at my altitude and offered vectors to rutland. Problems: 1) getting correct, current information is a difficult and error prone process. 2) lost communications in IMC before ATC notified me of unusable gfl VOR could be dangerous. After several different answers about this situation from other pilots, instrs and a commercial chart rep, I called the NOAA report charting errors 800 phone # on the chart. A callback person did not have an explanation of the situation, but referred me to mr. X at another #. He researched the situation and called me back to say that there is an fdc NOTAM 0/5178 which raises the MEA to 10000' between gfl and kerst intersection on V496. A future airport/facility directory will indicate the VOR radials unusable below the notamed MEA of 10000'. Once I had all the information (I think), it made sense. Duats does not provide fdc NOTAM information after it is published in print. The timing on this is still obscure to me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that after the NOAA rep called him reporter called bwf FSS and checked on NOTAMS. FSS specialist could find no NOTAMS. Reporter gave him #south given to him by NOAA rep. Specialist still could find only 1 NOTAM and it was not the one re: the MEA. Reporter asks how one is supposed to locate this information???? Analyst contacted alb facility supervisor. ATC aware of problem, and do not understand why MEA not changed on charts. Several areas where MEA is changed due to poor VOR reception. He too is concerned re: any lost communication problem that pilots would be receiving unreliable navigation information at published MEA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEA OF 4500' ON CURRENT CHART, BUT CTLR SAYS AT 7000' FLT WAS BELOW CURRENT MEA OF 10000'.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM ROCHESTER, NY TO RUTLAND, VT ON V496, I BELIEVED THE 4500' MEA ON THE CURRENT NOAA ENRTE LOW ALT CHART TO BE CURRENT. I WAS WRONG. AT 7000' I WAS BELOW THE CURRENT MEA OF 10000' (I THINK). ATC INFORMED ME THAT GFL WAS UNUSABLE AT MY ALT AND OFFERED VECTORS TO RUTLAND. PROBS: 1) GETTING CORRECT, CURRENT INFO IS A DIFFICULT AND ERROR PRONE PROCESS. 2) LOST COMS IN IMC BEFORE ATC NOTIFIED ME OF UNUSABLE GFL VOR COULD BE DANGEROUS. AFTER SEVERAL DIFFERENT ANSWERS ABOUT THIS SITUATION FROM OTHER PLTS, INSTRS AND A COMMERCIAL CHART REP, I CALLED THE NOAA RPT CHARTING ERRORS 800 PHONE # ON THE CHART. A CALLBACK PERSON DID NOT HAVE AN EXPLANATION OF THE SITUATION, BUT REFERRED ME TO MR. X AT ANOTHER #. HE RESEARCHED THE SITUATION AND CALLED ME BACK TO SAY THAT THERE IS AN FDC NOTAM 0/5178 WHICH RAISES THE MEA TO 10000' BTWN GFL AND KERST INTXN ON V496. A FUTURE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY WILL INDICATE THE VOR RADIALS UNUSABLE BELOW THE NOTAMED MEA OF 10000'. ONCE I HAD ALL THE INFO (I THINK), IT MADE SENSE. DUATS DOES NOT PROVIDE FDC NOTAM INFO AFTER IT IS PUBLISHED IN PRINT. THE TIMING ON THIS IS STILL OBSCURE TO ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT AFTER THE NOAA REP CALLED HIM RPTR CALLED BWF FSS AND CHKED ON NOTAMS. FSS SPECIALIST COULD FIND NO NOTAMS. RPTR GAVE HIM #S GIVEN TO HIM BY NOAA REP. SPECIALIST STILL COULD FIND ONLY 1 NOTAM AND IT WAS NOT THE ONE RE: THE MEA. RPTR ASKS HOW ONE IS SUPPOSED TO LOCATE THIS INFO???? ANALYST CONTACTED ALB FAC SUPVR. ATC AWARE OF PROB, AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MEA NOT CHANGED ON CHARTS. SEVERAL AREAS WHERE MEA IS CHANGED DUE TO POOR VOR RECEPTION. HE TOO IS CONCERNED RE: ANY LOST COM PROB THAT PLTS WOULD BE RECEIVING UNRELIABLE NAV INFO AT PUBLISHED MEA.

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.