IFR aircraft was instructed to proceed direct to a VORTAC, but was unable to pick up signal . Contro...

Narrative:

I was working as a radar controller when a pilot on an IFR flight plan navigating direct to lgc VORTAC advised that he had lost the VOR 'again.' I assigned a heading and called the next ARTCC sector to advise them of his heading. The ARTCC controller advised me that the VORTAC was notamed out for maintenance. Yet another incident where we were not advised of a pertinent NOTAM. Lgc VORTAC is in our airspace and we run approachs on it. There needs to be a system by which all ATC facilities can easily and regularly (at least daily) verify all NOTAMS which may affect them. We are served by 2 separate automated FSS facilities and have numerous airports which fall into various NOTAM files, so it is impossible to check them all (including l-notams, especially). To further complicate it, fdc NOTAMS are disseminated to us through the ARTCC, not automated FSS. Every ATC facility should get a daily computer printout of all NOTAMS (fdc NOTAMS, d-notams, and l-notams) within 100 NM of the facility so the personnel actually familiar with the area can insure that they are accurate and that those who need them have them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that facility manager is aware of problem and has attempted to track it down by contacting the other facilities involved, but it is still occurring. Reporter says that this is a fairly frequent occurrence and may be compounded by having 2 FSS's within their airspace, macon and anniston, and 1 center. No ucr filed or other action taken on this as far as the reporter is aware of. Rtpr believes that the solution to the problem is to require all FSS's to forward all NOTAMS to air traffic facilities within a 100 mi radius. Supposedly, one of the FSS's has agreed to provide the NOTAMS over the landline whenever they are requested, but will not put them on the fdio printer or facsimile them. It appears that the problems cited by the reporter have been a failure to relay or follow through on the dissemination of information. However, reporter feels that air traffic facilities need to be aware of all NOTAMS within their airspace and the surrounding adjacent area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO A VORTAC, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PICK UP SIGNAL . CTLR CHKS AND LEARNS THAT THE VORTAC IS NOTAMED OTS FOR MAINT. FACILITY HAD NO INFO ON OUTAGE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS A RADAR CTLR WHEN A PLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN NAVING DIRECT TO LGC VORTAC ADVISED THAT HE HAD LOST THE VOR 'AGAIN.' I ASSIGNED A HDG AND CALLED THE NEXT ARTCC SECTOR TO ADVISE THEM OF HIS HDG. THE ARTCC CTLR ADVISED ME THAT THE VORTAC WAS NOTAMED OUT FOR MAINT. YET ANOTHER INCIDENT WHERE WE WERE NOT ADVISED OF A PERTINENT NOTAM. LGC VORTAC IS IN OUR AIRSPACE AND WE RUN APCHS ON IT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A SYS BY WHICH ALL ATC FACILITIES CAN EASILY AND REGULARLY (AT LEAST DAILY) VERIFY ALL NOTAMS WHICH MAY AFFECT THEM. WE ARE SERVED BY 2 SEPARATE AUTOMATED FSS FACILITIES AND HAVE NUMEROUS ARPTS WHICH FALL INTO VARIOUS NOTAM FILES, SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHK THEM ALL (INCLUDING L-NOTAMS, ESPECIALLY). TO FURTHER COMPLICATE IT, FDC NOTAMS ARE DISSEMINATED TO US THROUGH THE ARTCC, NOT AUTOMATED FSS. EVERY ATC FACILITY SHOULD GET A DAILY COMPUTER PRINTOUT OF ALL NOTAMS (FDC NOTAMS, D-NOTAMS, AND L-NOTAMS) WITHIN 100 NM OF THE FACILITY SO THE PERSONNEL ACTUALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA CAN INSURE THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE AND THAT THOSE WHO NEED THEM HAVE THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT FACILITY MGR IS AWARE OF PROB AND HAS ATTEMPTED TO TRACK IT DOWN BY CONTACTING THE OTHER FACILITIES INVOLVED, BUT IT IS STILL OCCURRING. RPTR SAYS THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY FREQUENT OCCURRENCE AND MAY BE COMPOUNDED BY HAVING 2 FSS'S WITHIN THEIR AIRSPACE, MACON AND ANNISTON, AND 1 CTR. NO UCR FILED OR OTHER ACTION TAKEN ON THIS AS FAR AS THE RPTR IS AWARE OF. RTPR BELIEVES THAT THE SOLUTION TO THE PROB IS TO REQUIRE ALL FSS'S TO FORWARD ALL NOTAMS TO AIR TFC FACILITIES WITHIN A 100 MI RADIUS. SUPPOSEDLY, ONE OF THE FSS'S HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE THE NOTAMS OVER THE LANDLINE WHENEVER THEY ARE REQUESTED, BUT WILL NOT PUT THEM ON THE FDIO PRINTER OR FAX THEM. IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBS CITED BY THE RPTR HAVE BEEN A FAILURE TO RELAY OR FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE DISSEMINATION OF INFO. HOWEVER, RPTR FEELS THAT AIR TFC FACILITIES NEED TO BE AWARE OF ALL NOTAMS WITHIN THEIR AIRSPACE AND THE SURROUNDING ADJACENT AREA.

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.

Attributes
ACN	275611
Time
Date	199406
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : csg
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : csg
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	275611
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

IFR aircraft was instructed to proceed direct to a VORTAC, but was unable to pick up signal . Controller checks and learns that the VORTAC is notamed OTS for maintenance. Facility had no information on outage.