Narrative:

Aircraft is CAT B for approach minimums as per certification in country of register (united states) company requires flaps 25 degrees landing as maximum which puts vref speed above 120 KTS downing this now becomes CAT C approach by allowing a lower landing weight vref became 120 KTS so now we are a CAT B aircraft. Is this true? FAA seems to be unable to answer this. I.e., if approach asks you to maintain 170 KIAS to the OM, does the aircraft become CAT D? Apparently not. Please advise if you can. We executed the approach under CAT B. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was provided with an explanation of determining the aircraft approach CAT by reference to the explanation of terms/landing minima in the united states terminal procedures book with particular reference to the statement that 'if it is necessary to maneuver at speeds in excess of the upper limits of a speed range for a category, the minimums for the next higher category should be used.' further examples were provided to help clarify this provision and he seemed pleased to learn this since the FAA poi inspector for his company could not clarify the meaning of this rule.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR LTT ACFT REQUESTED CLARIFICATION OF THE ACFT APCH CATEGORY DETERMINATION.

Narrative: ACFT IS CAT B FOR APCH MINIMUMS AS PER CERTIFICATION IN COUNTRY OF REGISTER (UNITED STATES) COMPANY REQUIRES FLAPS 25 DEGS LNDG AS MAX WHICH PUTS VREF SPD ABOVE 120 KTS DOWNING THIS NOW BECOMES CAT C APCH BY ALLOWING A LOWER LNDG WT VREF BECAME 120 KTS SO NOW WE ARE A CAT B ACFT. IS THIS TRUE? FAA SEEMS TO BE UNABLE TO ANSWER THIS. I.E., IF APCH ASKS YOU TO MAINTAIN 170 KIAS TO THE OM, DOES THE ACFT BECOME CAT D? APPARENTLY NOT. PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU CAN. WE EXECUTED THE APCH UNDER CAT B. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS PROVIDED WITH AN EXPLANATION OF DETERMINING THE ACFT APCH CAT BY REF TO THE EXPLANATION OF TERMS/LNDG MINIMA IN THE UNITED STATES TERMINAL PROCS BOOK WITH PARTICULAR REF TO THE STATEMENT THAT 'IF IT IS NECESSARY TO MANEUVER AT SPDS IN EXCESS OF THE UPPER LIMITS OF A SPD RANGE FOR A CATEGORY, THE MINIMUMS FOR THE NEXT HIGHER CATEGORY SHOULD BE USED.' FURTHER EXAMPLES WERE PROVIDED TO HELP CLARIFY THIS PROVISION AND HE SEEMED PLEASED TO LEARN THIS SINCE THE FAA POI INSPECTOR FOR HIS COMPANY COULD NOT CLARIFY THE MEANING OF THIS RULE.

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.