Narrative:

En route from minneapolis to detroit, as I passed over the auw VOR in the middle of wi, I noticed ATC was handing off aircraft to the tower at cwa (central wi). Last time I had been there, there was no tower, and I filed it away in the back of my mind. When getting a briefing from the FSS in detroit (lansing?) 3 days later, and filing to cwa to stop for gas on the return trip, the briefer gave me a NOTAM detailing the hours of the tower. No problem, I thought. As I passed over green bay (from the east) and began setting up for the approach, I could not find the tower frequency for cwa anywhere, not on the approach charts, not in the airport directory, not on the low altitude en route charts. I double checked the dates: everything was current (I would hope so, I have a subscription with NOAA)! I called green bay radio, and they didn't have the information, and finally found it in the 'printed' NOTAMS. As it turned out, the AWOS at cwa had been upgraded to an ATIS, and the recording included the tower frequency. I inquired again on the ground at the FBO, and got the standard song and dance about 'checking all sources of information that relate to the flight.' in the days of teletypes and manual data entry, I can understand the concept of class B (30 days old) and class left (local) NOTAMS. But in this day of modern computers and high speed data transmission (for most of us, anyway), this is a cop-out. There is no legitimate reason why all information cannot be available on-line to the FSS briefers, duat, and so forth. Class left NOTAMS aren't available unless you know which FSS to ask, and I don't have access to the printed class B NOTAMS. In this particular case, a dangerous situation was created. A former unicom airport commissions a tower. It is a semi-rural area, but there is considerable commuter airline traffic. People are apparently landing while monitoring unicom, but not making any announcements (yeah, I know, it's not required, but that's another issue -- don't get me started on that one)! The cwa tower may be monitoring unicom, but that would not help unless the pilot is using his her radio! The change didn't make it into the appropriate publications in time, and they commissioned the tower without waiting for the information to be published (were they in that big of a hurry?). After 30 days, the class a NOTAM 'expires' and downgrades to class B, and FSS just 'forgets' about it. And it's my fault for not looking in a little book that I have seen only once in my entire life? I don't even know if I can get a subscription to it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTAM INFO DISSEMINATION. UNABLE TO FIND TWR FREQ AT CWA.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO DETROIT, AS I PASSED OVER THE AUW VOR IN THE MIDDLE OF WI, I NOTICED ATC WAS HANDING OFF ACFT TO THE TWR AT CWA (CENTRAL WI). LAST TIME I HAD BEEN THERE, THERE WAS NO TWR, AND I FILED IT AWAY IN THE BACK OF MY MIND. WHEN GETTING A BRIEFING FROM THE FSS IN DETROIT (LANSING?) 3 DAYS LATER, AND FILING TO CWA TO STOP FOR GAS ON THE RETURN TRIP, THE BRIEFER GAVE ME A NOTAM DETAILING THE HRS OF THE TWR. NO PROBLEM, I THOUGHT. AS I PASSED OVER GREEN BAY (FROM THE E) AND BEGAN SETTING UP FOR THE APCH, I COULD NOT FIND THE TWR FREQ FOR CWA ANYWHERE, NOT ON THE APCH CHARTS, NOT IN THE ARPT DIRECTORY, NOT ON THE LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS. I DOUBLE CHKED THE DATES: EVERYTHING WAS CURRENT (I WOULD HOPE SO, I HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION WITH NOAA)! I CALLED GREEN BAY RADIO, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE INFO, AND FINALLY FOUND IT IN THE 'PRINTED' NOTAMS. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE AWOS AT CWA HAD BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ATIS, AND THE RECORDING INCLUDED THE TWR FREQ. I INQUIRED AGAIN ON THE GND AT THE FBO, AND GOT THE STANDARD SONG AND DANCE ABOUT 'CHKING ALL SOURCES OF INFO THAT RELATE TO THE FLT.' IN THE DAYS OF TELETYPES AND MANUAL DATA ENTRY, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF CLASS B (30 DAYS OLD) AND CLASS L (LCL) NOTAMS. BUT IN THIS DAY OF MODERN COMPUTERS AND HIGH SPD DATA XMISSION (FOR MOST OF US, ANYWAY), THIS IS A COP-OUT. THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE REASON WHY ALL INFO CANNOT BE AVAILABLE ON-LINE TO THE FSS BRIEFERS, DUAT, AND SO FORTH. CLASS L NOTAMS AREN'T AVAILABLE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHICH FSS TO ASK, AND I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE PRINTED CLASS B NOTAMS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, A DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS CREATED. A FORMER UNICOM ARPT COMMISSIONS A TWR. IT IS A SEMI-RURAL AREA, BUT THERE IS CONSIDERABLE COMMUTER AIRLINE TFC. PEOPLE ARE APPARENTLY LNDG WHILE MONITORING UNICOM, BUT NOT MAKING ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS (YEAH, I KNOW, IT'S NOT REQUIRED, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE -- DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THAT ONE)! THE CWA TWR MAY BE MONITORING UNICOM, BUT THAT WOULD NOT HELP UNLESS THE PLT IS USING HIS HER RADIO! THE CHANGE DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE APPROPRIATE PUBLICATIONS IN TIME, AND THEY COMMISSIONED THE TWR WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE INFO TO BE PUBLISHED (WERE THEY IN THAT BIG OF A HURRY?). AFTER 30 DAYS, THE CLASS A NOTAM 'EXPIRES' AND DOWNGRADES TO CLASS B, AND FSS JUST 'FORGETS' ABOUT IT. AND IT'S MY FAULT FOR NOT LOOKING IN A LITTLE BOOK THAT I HAVE SEEN ONLY ONCE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN GET A SUBSCRIPTION TO IT.

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.