Narrative:

Our airspace was recently changed from an arsa to class C airspace. While reviewing the charts/pubs, I raised the question as to what happened when our facility closed for 8 hours each night and where was this information published. A call to the regional airspace section resulted in information that this should be published in the airport facilities directory. The current entry reads, 'airspace: class C contact approach control.' the region advised that the atm should have the entry changed to indicate effective hours for class C and class east airspace and that a NOTAM should be issued in the meantime. I contacted mon AFSS and issued the following NOTAM by phone: 'csg class C airspace effective 1100-0300Z, class east airspace 0300-1100Z.' they called back to confirm and said that the NOTAM would read: 'csg class C surface area effective 1100-0300Z. Class east surface area 0300-1100Z.' I pointed out that this was not accurate as class C surface area is different from class C airspace and the entire airspace would change. They stated that their NOTAM manual only allowed NOTAMS to be abbreviated 'ccsa' or 'cesa.' the current NOTAM in its entirety is: 'csg cesa effective 0300Z- 1100Z.' since then, several pilots have advised receiving this NOTAM and not having a clue as to what it meant. Several problems: 1) the entire airspace change and pubs should be handled at the national level and not left to individual facilities to sort out. 2) the FAA order on NOTAMS needs to be changed to allow different NOTAMS for airspace and surface areas. 3) since not every pilot gets a briefing through a human FSS specialist, the NOTAMS should not be so abbreviated that they cannot be interpreted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: FSS advises that the NOTAM pertaining to 'surface area' was issued on oct/wed/93 and cancelled on oct/fri/93. They feel that the term 'surface area' is the same as 'airspace' since the NOTAM handbook does not have an abbreviation for airspace. Doesn't know why the NOTAM was cancelled, but thinks that the airport facilities directory is the best place for this information. NOTAM information alleged to be misguiding to pilots concerning effective hours of class C airspace.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTAM INFO ALLEGED TO BE MISGUIDING TO PLTS CONCERNING EFFECTIVE HRS OF CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: OUR AIRSPACE WAS RECENTLY CHANGED FROM AN ARSA TO CLASS C AIRSPACE. WHILE REVIEWING THE CHARTS/PUBS, I RAISED THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT HAPPENED WHEN OUR FACILITY CLOSED FOR 8 HRS EACH NIGHT AND WHERE WAS THIS INFO PUBLISHED. A CALL TO THE REGIONAL AIRSPACE SECTION RESULTED IN INFO THAT THIS SHOULD BE PUBLISHED IN THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY. THE CURRENT ENTRY READS, 'AIRSPACE: CLASS C CONTACT APCH CTL.' THE REGION ADVISED THAT THE ATM SHOULD HAVE THE ENTRY CHANGED TO INDICATE EFFECTIVE HRS FOR CLASS C AND CLASS E AIRSPACE AND THAT A NOTAM SHOULD BE ISSUED IN THE MEANTIME. I CONTACTED MON AFSS AND ISSUED THE FOLLOWING NOTAM BY PHONE: 'CSG CLASS C AIRSPACE EFFECTIVE 1100-0300Z, CLASS E AIRSPACE 0300-1100Z.' THEY CALLED BACK TO CONFIRM AND SAID THAT THE NOTAM WOULD READ: 'CSG CLASS C SURFACE AREA EFFECTIVE 1100-0300Z. CLASS E SURFACE AREA 0300-1100Z.' I POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS NOT ACCURATE AS CLASS C SURFACE AREA IS DIFFERENT FROM CLASS C AIRSPACE AND THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE WOULD CHANGE. THEY STATED THAT THEIR NOTAM MANUAL ONLY ALLOWED NOTAMS TO BE ABBREVIATED 'CCSA' OR 'CESA.' THE CURRENT NOTAM IN ITS ENTIRETY IS: 'CSG CESA EFFECTIVE 0300Z- 1100Z.' SINCE THEN, SEVERAL PLTS HAVE ADVISED RECEIVING THIS NOTAM AND NOT HAVING A CLUE AS TO WHAT IT MEANT. SEVERAL PROBS: 1) THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE CHANGE AND PUBS SHOULD BE HANDLED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND NOT LEFT TO INDIVIDUAL FACILITIES TO SORT OUT. 2) THE FAA ORDER ON NOTAMS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO ALLOW DIFFERENT NOTAMS FOR AIRSPACE AND SURFACE AREAS. 3) SINCE NOT EVERY PLT GETS A BRIEFING THROUGH A HUMAN FSS SPECIALIST, THE NOTAMS SHOULD NOT BE SO ABBREVIATED THAT THEY CANNOT BE INTERPRETED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FSS ADVISES THAT THE NOTAM PERTAINING TO 'SURFACE AREA' WAS ISSUED ON OCT/WED/93 AND CANCELLED ON OCT/FRI/93. THEY FEEL THAT THE TERM 'SURFACE AREA' IS THE SAME AS 'AIRSPACE' SINCE THE NOTAM HANDBOOK DOES NOT HAVE AN ABBREVIATION FOR AIRSPACE. DOESN'T KNOW WHY THE NOTAM WAS CANCELLED, BUT THINKS THAT THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THIS INFO. NOTAM INFO ALLEGED TO BE MISGUIDING TO PLTS CONCERNING EFFECTIVE HRS OF CLASS C AIRSPACE.

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.