EMS flight needs help from approach control when his LORAN fails.

Attributes
ACN	256315
Time
Date	199311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	256315
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

LORAN failed during flight. Was en route to a hospital and relying on the LORAN to guide me there. When LORAN failed I had to get radar vectors from ZZZ approach. This was a EMS flight and ZZZ approach was very helpful. They saved the day and provided me with good vectors to the hospital. However, ZZZ approach had to get out road maps and also call the hospital in order to provide me with these vectors. It was a lot of extra work that they should not have had to do. To prevent a recurrence, I will try not to rely so heavily on the LORAN but sometimes a latitude/longitude is the only way to navigation to a hospital. Also, controllers should have all hospitals marked on their radar so vectoring would be much easier. So as not to clutter up the radar, maybe a plastic overlay that can be removed. The overlay would have the hospitals on it and it could be used only when vectoring is requested.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS FLT NEEDS HELP FROM APCH CTL WHEN HIS LORAN FAILS.

Narrative: LORAN FAILED DURING FLT. WAS ENRTE TO A HOSPITAL AND RELYING ON THE LORAN TO GUIDE ME THERE. WHEN LORAN FAILED I HAD TO GET RADAR VECTORS FROM ZZZ APCH. THIS WAS A EMS FLT AND ZZZ APCH WAS VERY HELPFUL. THEY SAVED THE DAY AND PROVIDED ME WITH GOOD VECTORS TO THE HOSPITAL. HOWEVER, ZZZ APCH HAD TO GET OUT ROAD MAPS AND ALSO CALL THE HOSPITAL IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ME WITH THESE VECTORS. IT WAS A LOT OF EXTRA WORK THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO DO. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I WILL TRY NOT TO RELY SO HEAVILY ON THE LORAN BUT SOMETIMES A LATITUDE/LONGITUDE IS THE ONLY WAY TO NAV TO A HOSPITAL. ALSO, CTLRS SHOULD HAVE ALL HOSPITALS MARKED ON THEIR RADAR SO VECTORING WOULD BE MUCH EASIER. SO AS NOT TO CLUTTER UP THE RADAR, MAYBE A PLASTIC OVERLAY THAT CAN BE REMOVED. THE OVERLAY WOULD HAVE THE HOSPITALS ON IT AND IT COULD BE USED ONLY WHEN VECTORING IS REQUESTED.

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.