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Flight crew of large transport aircraft lost ability to navigation due to NAVAID coverage limitation resulting in ATC having to provide necessary headings.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 232262 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199301 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pbi |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : zma |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 1900 |
| ASRS Report | 232262 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
We had been cleared by a heading of 325 degrees from sekor intersection, which is about 42 mi north of puerto plata VOR (pta) to intercept ar-3 north of zqa. But we could not pick up nassau NDB and at 203 DME north of zqa, we could not get the VOR either. So ATC had to give us corrective heading for ilm (wilmington, nc). It is a shame that in this day and age that with all the technology available to airlines, we cannot afford to have the latest NAVAID equipment on board. Many of the airlines are so cash poor that many of the rtes we fly over water are literally flown by dead reckoning, just as aviators in the 1920's and 30's did. The only difference is that they didn't have ATC to get on them if they happened to be off course.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF LGT ACFT LOST ABILITY TO NAV DUE TO NAVAID COVERAGE LIMITATION RESULTING IN ATC HAVING TO PROVIDE NECESSARY HDGS.
Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED BY A HDG OF 325 DEGS FROM SEKOR INTXN, WHICH IS ABOUT 42 MI N OF PUERTO PLATA VOR (PTA) TO INTERCEPT AR-3 N OF ZQA. BUT WE COULD NOT PICK UP NASSAU NDB AND AT 203 DME N OF ZQA, WE COULD NOT GET THE VOR EITHER. SO ATC HAD TO GIVE US CORRECTIVE HDG FOR ILM (WILMINGTON, NC). IT IS A SHAME THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE THAT WITH ALL THE TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO AIRLINES, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THE LATEST NAVAID EQUIP ON BOARD. MANY OF THE AIRLINES ARE SO CASH POOR THAT MANY OF THE RTES WE FLY OVER WATER ARE LITERALLY FLOWN BY DEAD RECKONING, JUST AS AVIATORS IN THE 1920'S AND 30'S DID. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ATC TO GET ON THEM IF THEY HAPPENED TO BE OFF COURSE.
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.