Narrative:

Bna VORTAC was relocated. During that time, it was obviously OTS. Also, it would be OTS for other various reasons and notamed out. The whole time the VORTAC was being relocated or worked on was poorly planned and apparently not much thought given to ATC procedure. If you were cleared from an out station back to bna you were given a clearance as if bna was still on-line. Only through a memo that came out weeks after numerous complaints, a clarification was made to my company that pilots were to expect radar vectors to bna after the last fix that was navigable without the use of bna VORTAC. Approach chart amendments came out weeks after the VORTAC was OTS. Numerous approachs (including missed approachs) to bna depended on fixes from the bna VORTAC. Finally, center controllers tended to ignore the fact the VORTAC was OTS and not provide vectors until prompted or simply state 'amendment to your clearance, this will be radar vectors to bna, fly heading ---.' recently, the DME portion of the VOR was ok but no azimuth information was reliable. You could tune the VORTAC, get azimuth which appeared normal yet as by 'the book' no navigation identify was available confirming usability of the VOR. Controllers ignored that and expected pilots to navigation as if all were normal. Pilots not paying attention to NOTAMS, not properly identing a NAVAID, or pressing ATC to 'get with the program.' controllers ignoring NOTAMS, and when questioned, finally admit the VOR was OTS but 'fly the arrival anyway!' if you're not a 'regular' to bna you are left clueless as everybody seems to know something you don't. I'm amazed no major incidents have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT CTLRS NOT ADVISING PLTS OF A VORTAC OUTAGE FOR RELOCATION.

Narrative: BNA VORTAC WAS RELOCATED. DURING THAT TIME, IT WAS OBVIOUSLY OTS. ALSO, IT WOULD BE OTS FOR OTHER VARIOUS REASONS AND NOTAMED OUT. THE WHOLE TIME THE VORTAC WAS BEING RELOCATED OR WORKED ON WAS POORLY PLANNED AND APPARENTLY NOT MUCH THOUGHT GIVEN TO ATC PROC. IF YOU WERE CLRED FROM AN OUT STATION BACK TO BNA YOU WERE GIVEN A CLRNC AS IF BNA WAS STILL ON-LINE. ONLY THROUGH A MEMO THAT CAME OUT WKS AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, A CLARIFICATION WAS MADE TO MY COMPANY THAT PLTS WERE TO EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO BNA AFTER THE LAST FIX THAT WAS NAVIGABLE WITHOUT THE USE OF BNA VORTAC. APCH CHART AMENDMENTS CAME OUT WKS AFTER THE VORTAC WAS OTS. NUMEROUS APCHS (INCLUDING MISSED APCHS) TO BNA DEPENDED ON FIXES FROM THE BNA VORTAC. FINALLY, CTR CTLRS TENDED TO IGNORE THE FACT THE VORTAC WAS OTS AND NOT PROVIDE VECTORS UNTIL PROMPTED OR SIMPLY STATE 'AMENDMENT TO YOUR CLRNC, THIS WILL BE RADAR VECTORS TO BNA, FLY HDG ---.' RECENTLY, THE DME PORTION OF THE VOR WAS OK BUT NO AZIMUTH INFO WAS RELIABLE. YOU COULD TUNE THE VORTAC, GET AZIMUTH WHICH APPEARED NORMAL YET AS BY 'THE BOOK' NO NAV IDENT WAS AVAILABLE CONFIRMING USABILITY OF THE VOR. CTLRS IGNORED THAT AND EXPECTED PLTS TO NAV AS IF ALL WERE NORMAL. PLTS NOT PAYING ATTN TO NOTAMS, NOT PROPERLY IDENTING A NAVAID, OR PRESSING ATC TO 'GET WITH THE PROGRAM.' CTLRS IGNORING NOTAMS, AND WHEN QUESTIONED, FINALLY ADMIT THE VOR WAS OTS BUT 'FLY THE ARR ANYWAY!' IF YOU'RE NOT A 'REGULAR' TO BNA YOU ARE LEFT CLUELESS AS EVERYBODY SEEMS TO KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T. I'M AMAZED NO MAJOR INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED.

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.