Narrative:

The reason for the emergency landing was due to lose cowling on the left engine, some vibration was felt on the yoke. The landing was uneventful. My primary concern is the accuracy of the WAC chart. 1) it indicates as a control tower with a frequency of 118.9. It has been uncontrolled for 2 1/2 yrs. 2) it also indicates the airport is an airport of entry, that hasn't been the case since 1989. All of this information I obtained from the airport manager. Accuracy of the chart is an important factor for determining which airport is to be used in an emergency. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was in contact with approach control but unable to contact anyone else. Not surprising if tower out of operation for so long. He also states that one runway is covered with rocks and is totally unusable. (This information is noted in the airport facility directory.) also mentioned that his chart shows an NDB which does not exist. The chart analyst (current) does not show NDB. Upon landing to secure the engine cowling, reporter noted above mentioned plus the fact that the area was burned some time ago and there is literally nothing there, no services at all. Analyst contacted the visual charting offices in washington and they are checking out the situation and will get back to us. Of course the information on the charts is updated by a form sent to the airports and returned to the mapping facilities. Such information is accepted as factual and placed on the charts. This information is obviously much outdated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS COWLING UNLATCH, EMER LNDG. FINDS ARPT INFO ON CHART IS WRONG.

Narrative: THE REASON FOR THE EMER LNDG WAS DUE TO LOSE COWLING ON THE L ENG, SOME VIBRATION WAS FELT ON THE YOKE. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE ACCURACY OF THE WAC CHART. 1) IT INDICATES AS A CTL TWR WITH A FREQ OF 118.9. IT HAS BEEN UNCTLED FOR 2 1/2 YRS. 2) IT ALSO INDICATES THE ARPT IS AN ARPT OF ENTRY, THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE SINCE 1989. ALL OF THIS INFO I OBTAINED FROM THE ARPT MGR. ACCURACY OF THE CHART IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR DETERMINING WHICH ARPT IS TO BE USED IN AN EMER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL BUT UNABLE TO CONTACT ANYONE ELSE. NOT SURPRISING IF TWR OUT OF OP FOR SO LONG. HE ALSO STATES THAT ONE RWY IS COVERED WITH ROCKS AND IS TOTALLY UNUSABLE. (THIS INFO IS NOTED IN THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY.) ALSO MENTIONED THAT HIS CHART SHOWS AN NDB WHICH DOES NOT EXIST. THE CHART ANALYST (CURRENT) DOES NOT SHOW NDB. UPON LNDG TO SECURE THE ENG COWLING, RPTR NOTED ABOVE MENTIONED PLUS THE FACT THAT THE AREA WAS BURNED SOME TIME AGO AND THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING THERE, NO SVCS AT ALL. ANALYST CONTACTED THE VISUAL CHARTING OFFICES IN WASHINGTON AND THEY ARE CHKING OUT THE SIT AND WILL GET BACK TO US. OF COURSE THE INFO ON THE CHARTS IS UPDATED BY A FORM SENT TO THE ARPTS AND RETURNED TO THE MAPPING FACILITIES. SUCH INFO IS ACCEPTED AS FACTUAL AND PLACED ON THE CHARTS. THIS INFO IS OBVIOUSLY MUCH OUTDATED.

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.