Narrative:

The flight was from portland, or, to arcata, ca. The WX was 900 overcast and 10 mi at acv with light winds favoring runway 20. We elected to fly the VOR/DME runway 14 approach since we were arriving from the north. Runway 14/32 was closed for repaving, so we planned to circle to runway 20 with a right base entry (which is the normal traffic pattern entry for that runway). The problem lies in the fact that there is a note on the circling minimums that says circling to the east of runway 14/32 is not authorized. The captain and I took that to mean no circling east of the airport, like for a right downwind to runway 32 or runway 02. We thought a simple right base to runway 20 would be acceptable. We broke out, and we found ourselves in a good position to land with a stabilized approach -- no problem. However, after landing, our competitor came on over the company radio and warned us that they had been getting in trouble for circling to runway 20. (I should mention that acv is a new destination for us, so we don't have a lot of experience with that airport.) my contention is that circling instructions should be more explicit in defining areas that should not be circled to. On the charts for calgary (yyc), there is an airport diagram by the circling minimums that clearly shows where an aircraft should not be. Why can't that depiction be on all charts? I still have not found out whether our approach was legal. My poll of our pilots is about split 50/50. What do you think?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER CAPT QUESTIONS HIS CIRCLING APCH INTO ACV, CA.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM PORTLAND, OR, TO ARCATA, CA. THE WX WAS 900 OVCST AND 10 MI AT ACV WITH LIGHT WINDS FAVORING RWY 20. WE ELECTED TO FLY THE VOR/DME RWY 14 APCH SINCE WE WERE ARRIVING FROM THE N. RWY 14/32 WAS CLOSED FOR REPAVING, SO WE PLANNED TO CIRCLE TO RWY 20 WITH A R BASE ENTRY (WHICH IS THE NORMAL TFC PATTERN ENTRY FOR THAT RWY). THE PROB LIES IN THE FACT THAT THERE IS A NOTE ON THE CIRCLING MINIMUMS THAT SAYS CIRCLING TO THE E OF RWY 14/32 IS NOT AUTHORIZED. THE CAPT AND I TOOK THAT TO MEAN NO CIRCLING E OF THE ARPT, LIKE FOR A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 32 OR RWY 02. WE THOUGHT A SIMPLE R BASE TO RWY 20 WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. WE BROKE OUT, AND WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A GOOD POS TO LAND WITH A STABILIZED APCH -- NO PROB. HOWEVER, AFTER LNDG, OUR COMPETITOR CAME ON OVER THE COMPANY RADIO AND WARNED US THAT THEY HAD BEEN GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR CIRCLING TO RWY 20. (I SHOULD MENTION THAT ACV IS A NEW DEST FOR US, SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT ARPT.) MY CONTENTION IS THAT CIRCLING INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD BE MORE EXPLICIT IN DEFINING AREAS THAT SHOULD NOT BE CIRCLED TO. ON THE CHARTS FOR CALGARY (YYC), THERE IS AN ARPT DIAGRAM BY THE CIRCLING MINIMUMS THAT CLRLY SHOWS WHERE AN ACFT SHOULD NOT BE. WHY CAN'T THAT DEPICTION BE ON ALL CHARTS? I STILL HAVE NOT FOUND OUT WHETHER OUR APCH WAS LEGAL. MY POLL OF OUR PLTS IS ABOUT SPLIT 50/50. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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.