Narrative:

Due to marginal WX we elected to do an ILS runway 5 approach to oaj and break off approach to circle-to-land runway 23 due to tailwind conditions (10 KTS gust to 14 KTS) which exceeded aircraft limitation. We acquired airport visually at OM and made left traffic and landed uneventfully on runway 23. Oaj is uncontrolled and company pilots have been violated for making other than left traffic. On the ground when we contacted ilm approach to cancel IFR, we were advised that a circle to land southeast of oaj is not authority/authorized. So we are in a quandary: should we have made right traffic in VFR conditions, or was the approach controller wrong since airport was VFR? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that controller mentioned the circle-to-land on the southeast is not authority/authorized but indicated no other action. Reporter has heard nothing. He feels flight crew is in a muddle because the airport manager has written up several of the pilots for making right traffic on the instrument approach. Flight crew is caught between 2 different factions. He has brought this to the attention of the union safety representative and to company personnel. His company has just pulled out of this station and it will be served by the commuters so the problem does not go away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG MAKES A CIRCLE-TO-LAND TO THE SE WHEN IT IS NOT AUTH.

Narrative: DUE TO MARGINAL WX WE ELECTED TO DO AN ILS RWY 5 APCH TO OAJ AND BREAK OFF APCH TO CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 23 DUE TO TAILWIND CONDITIONS (10 KTS GUST TO 14 KTS) WHICH EXCEEDED ACFT LIMITATION. WE ACQUIRED ARPT VISUALLY AT OM AND MADE L TFC AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 23. OAJ IS UNCTLED AND COMPANY PLTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED FOR MAKING OTHER THAN L TFC. ON THE GND WHEN WE CONTACTED ILM APCH TO CANCEL IFR, WE WERE ADVISED THAT A CIRCLE TO LAND SE OF OAJ IS NOT AUTH. SO WE ARE IN A QUANDARY: SHOULD WE HAVE MADE R TFC IN VFR CONDITIONS, OR WAS THE APCH CTLR WRONG SINCE ARPT WAS VFR? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT CTLR MENTIONED THE CIRCLE-TO-LAND ON THE SE IS NOT AUTH BUT INDICATED NO OTHER ACTION. RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING. HE FEELS FLC IS IN A MUDDLE BECAUSE THE ARPT MGR HAS WRITTEN UP SEVERAL OF THE PLTS FOR MAKING R TFC ON THE INST APCH. FLC IS CAUGHT BTWN 2 DIFFERENT FACTIONS. HE HAS BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE AND TO COMPANY PERSONNEL. HIS COMPANY HAS JUST PULLED OUT OF THIS STATION AND IT WILL BE SERVED BY THE COMMUTERS SO THE PROB DOES NOT GO AWAY.

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.