Narrative:

About 2 yrs ago, just after the hnl domicile opened, I noticed that we (the crew) weren't getting all the NOTAMS that affected our operation, i.e., taxiway construction and closures, etc. (I've flown in the hawaiian islands for the last 17 yrs and know what to look for.) dispatch does not receive local NOTAMS from the honolulu FSS. I brought this information omission or 'glitch' to the attention of our chief pilot. After 3 months, he reported back that there was no vehicle or method in place to enable the information in local NOTAMS to be automatically sent to our dispatcher. I suggested a phone call to hnl FSS once a day requesting local NOTAMS, since it's an 800 number. The answer was, 'it isn't possible.' in the meantime, for 2 yrs, I've been requesting local NOTAMS routinely from our station operations people prior to our flts. They call hnl FSS and get a copy facsimile'ed to us and give a copy to anyone interested. On dec/fri/93, the 'glitch' hit the fan. Normally our flight plans show barbers point naval air station (nax) as a takeoff alternate and redispatch alternate when our destination is tokyo. On dec/fri our flight plan showed nax as the required takeoff and landing alternate. The local NOTAMS I had requested showed nax to be closed. So I called the dispatcher and mentioned that nax was closed. He said he didn't have any NOTAMS showing nax closed. I said I had a copy of the NOTAM in my hand and he should call hnl FSS to verify. 10 mins later a new flight plan was being printed with a different alternate. I called the dispatcher back and he thanked me for catching the glitch. It may not have seemed important, but consider the fact that every flight prior to ours on dec/fri was dispatched and took off illegally (about 6 flts). Every flight dispatched from japan to hnl with nax as an alternate earlier that day was illegal (about 7 flts). In addition, the ord to hnl flight may have been dispatched illegally. Now, what about the other airlines? Do they file nax as we do, which is logical? If so, perhaps their flts were illegal also. I brought this to the attention of the chief pilot and now he seems to be working on the problem with more vigor. Several questions are raised: is this glitch only between hnl FSS and my air carrier? Is this glitch only between local NOTAMS and my air carrier? Is this glitch only between all FSS's and my air carrier? Is this glitch only between all local NOTAMS and my air carrier? For interesting reference, I refer to paragraph 5-3 in the aim. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter is a very senior first officer for a major united states air carrier, based in hnl. He is very concerned that his dispatch department is not on the distribution list for the local 'left' NOTAMS for hnl and nax. The reporter found that his dispatch was using nax for an alternate airport when it was closed for the holidays. The only way that the reporter can get the local NOTAMS is to call the hnl FSS, or have the air carrier dispatch department do it for him. Initially, the reporter's flight department was not at all concerned with the problem, but now it has come to see the light. Nax is scheduled to be closed by the navy and a new airport will have to be found to serve as an alternate, possibly hto. This will require more fuel to be carried, thus more expense to the acrs. The reporter agrees that the navy does not 'roll up the concrete' when nax is closed so that it can be used in an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB FO DEPLORES THE NOTAM DISSEMINATION POLICY OF THE FAA.

Narrative: ABOUT 2 YRS AGO, JUST AFTER THE HNL DOMICILE OPENED, I NOTICED THAT WE (THE CREW) WEREN'T GETTING ALL THE NOTAMS THAT AFFECTED OUR OP, I.E., TXWY CONSTRUCTION AND CLOSURES, ETC. (I'VE FLOWN IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FOR THE LAST 17 YRS AND KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR.) DISPATCH DOES NOT RECEIVE LCL NOTAMS FROM THE HONOLULU FSS. I BROUGHT THIS INFO OMISSION OR 'GLITCH' TO THE ATTN OF OUR CHIEF PLT. AFTER 3 MONTHS, HE RPTED BACK THAT THERE WAS NO VEHICLE OR METHOD IN PLACE TO ENABLE THE INFO IN LCL NOTAMS TO BE AUTOMATICALLY SENT TO OUR DISPATCHER. I SUGGESTED A PHONE CALL TO HNL FSS ONCE A DAY REQUESTING LCL NOTAMS, SINCE IT'S AN 800 NUMBER. THE ANSWER WAS, 'IT ISN'T POSSIBLE.' IN THE MEANTIME, FOR 2 YRS, I'VE BEEN REQUESTING LCL NOTAMS ROUTINELY FROM OUR STATION OPS PEOPLE PRIOR TO OUR FLTS. THEY CALL HNL FSS AND GET A COPY FAX'ED TO US AND GIVE A COPY TO ANYONE INTERESTED. ON DEC/FRI/93, THE 'GLITCH' HIT THE FAN. NORMALLY OUR FLT PLANS SHOW BARBERS POINT NAVAL AIR STATION (NAX) AS A TKOF ALTERNATE AND REDISPATCH ALTERNATE WHEN OUR DEST IS TOKYO. ON DEC/FRI OUR FLT PLAN SHOWED NAX AS THE REQUIRED TKOF AND LNDG ALTERNATE. THE LCL NOTAMS I HAD REQUESTED SHOWED NAX TO BE CLOSED. SO I CALLED THE DISPATCHER AND MENTIONED THAT NAX WAS CLOSED. HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NOTAMS SHOWING NAX CLOSED. I SAID I HAD A COPY OF THE NOTAM IN MY HAND AND HE SHOULD CALL HNL FSS TO VERIFY. 10 MINS LATER A NEW FLT PLAN WAS BEING PRINTED WITH A DIFFERENT ALTERNATE. I CALLED THE DISPATCHER BACK AND HE THANKED ME FOR CATCHING THE GLITCH. IT MAY NOT HAVE SEEMED IMPORTANT, BUT CONSIDER THE FACT THAT EVERY FLT PRIOR TO OURS ON DEC/FRI WAS DISPATCHED AND TOOK OFF ILLEGALLY (ABOUT 6 FLTS). EVERY FLT DISPATCHED FROM JAPAN TO HNL WITH NAX AS AN ALTERNATE EARLIER THAT DAY WAS ILLEGAL (ABOUT 7 FLTS). IN ADDITION, THE ORD TO HNL FLT MAY HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED ILLEGALLY. NOW, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER AIRLINES? DO THEY FILE NAX AS WE DO, WHICH IS LOGICAL? IF SO, PERHAPS THEIR FLTS WERE ILLEGAL ALSO. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE CHIEF PLT AND NOW HE SEEMS TO BE WORKING ON THE PROB WITH MORE VIGOR. SEVERAL QUESTIONS ARE RAISED: IS THIS GLITCH ONLY BTWN HNL FSS AND MY ACR? IS THIS GLITCH ONLY BTWN LCL NOTAMS AND MY ACR? IS THIS GLITCH ONLY BTWN ALL FSS'S AND MY ACR? IS THIS GLITCH ONLY BTWN ALL LCL NOTAMS AND MY ACR? FOR INTERESTING REF, I REFER TO PARAGRAPH 5-3 IN THE AIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR IS A VERY SENIOR FO FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR, BASED IN HNL. HE IS VERY CONCERNED THAT HIS DISPATCH DEPT IS NOT ON THE DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR THE LCL 'L' NOTAMS FOR HNL AND NAX. THE RPTR FOUND THAT HIS DISPATCH WAS USING NAX FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT WHEN IT WAS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS. THE ONLY WAY THAT THE RPTR CAN GET THE LCL NOTAMS IS TO CALL THE HNL FSS, OR HAVE THE ACR DISPATCH DEPT DO IT FOR HIM. INITIALLY, THE RPTR'S FLT DEPT WAS NOT AT ALL CONCERNED WITH THE PROB, BUT NOW IT HAS COME TO SEE THE LIGHT. NAX IS SCHEDULED TO BE CLOSED BY THE NAVY AND A NEW ARPT WILL HAVE TO BE FOUND TO SERVE AS AN ALTERNATE, POSSIBLY HTO. THIS WILL REQUIRE MORE FUEL TO BE CARRIED, THUS MORE EXPENSE TO THE ACRS. THE RPTR AGREES THAT THE NAVY DOES NOT 'ROLL UP THE CONCRETE' WHEN NAX IS CLOSED SO THAT IT CAN BE USED IN AN EMER.

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.