Narrative:

This report is advisory and suggestive in nature. At the time a rather large system of WX was moving through the rockies. This was the 3RD leg of a 6 leg shift. Before departing denver, stapleton for rapid city, WX reports and forecasts indicated marginal VFR conditions with light snow and no need for an alternate landing airport. Den to rap is a somewhat long leg for us, scheduled at AM20. Departure and en route phases were normal with some IMC, light rime and light occasional turbulence encountered. Descent and approach into rap is where things got off track. On approach to rap, ZDV hands you off to ellsworth (AFB) approach (radar) controller approximately 30 mi from rap. In an E-120 under normal operations, this is about 6-8 min out. On initial contact with ellsworth, crews are given current rap WX, including approach in use. Although the captain and I had discussed approach options en route if they were necessary, the lack of an ATIS frequency and broadcast left us in a position to set-up for our approach and do our in range checks in minimal time. The result was I was very hurried and had that terrible sense of knowingly getting behind the aircraft. Our first circling approach ended missed as I gave the captain a bad vector downwind to base, which negated any time we might have saved in the first place. Now late and having missed once already, we cut no corners on the next approach and landed safely. Although we could have, in retrospect, slowed much more prior to the first contact with ellsworth and briefed/set-up all approach options, the fact is most airports we fly into the size of rap and with the volume of traffic as rap, have an ATIS frequency/ rap needs an ATIS. When held to tight schedules in an aircraft that does easily 5 mi per min or more, flight crew's need to stay way, way ahead of the game -- this means receiving an ATIS 60-70 mi (at least) out and planning and rehearsing an IAP (if necessary) accordingly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PART 135 FO COMPLAINT REGARDING NO ATIS BROADCAST AVAILABLE AT RAP, SD.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS ADVISORY AND SUGGESTIVE IN NATURE. AT THE TIME A RATHER LARGE SYS OF WX WAS MOVING THROUGH THE ROCKIES. THIS WAS THE 3RD LEG OF A 6 LEG SHIFT. BEFORE DEPARTING DENVER, STAPLETON FOR RAPID CITY, WX RPTS AND FORECASTS INDICATED MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT SNOW AND NO NEED FOR AN ALTERNATE LNDG ARPT. DEN TO RAP IS A SOMEWHAT LONG LEG FOR US, SCHEDULED AT AM20. DEP AND ENRTE PHASES WERE NORMAL WITH SOME IMC, LIGHT RIME AND LIGHT OCCASIONAL TURB ENCOUNTERED. DSCNT AND APCH INTO RAP IS WHERE THINGS GOT OFF TRACK. ON APCH TO RAP, ZDV HANDS YOU OFF TO ELLSWORTH (AFB) APCH (RADAR) CTLR APPROX 30 MI FROM RAP. IN AN E-120 UNDER NORMAL OPS, THIS IS ABOUT 6-8 MIN OUT. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH ELLSWORTH, CREWS ARE GIVEN CURRENT RAP WX, INCLUDING APCH IN USE. ALTHOUGH THE CAPT AND I HAD DISCUSSED APCH OPTIONS ENRTE IF THEY WERE NECESSARY, THE LACK OF AN ATIS FREQ AND BROADCAST LEFT US IN A POS TO SET-UP FOR OUR APCH AND DO OUR IN RANGE CHKS IN MINIMAL TIME. THE RESULT WAS I WAS VERY HURRIED AND HAD THAT TERRIBLE SENSE OF KNOWINGLY GETTING BEHIND THE ACFT. OUR FIRST CIRCLING APCH ENDED MISSED AS I GAVE THE CAPT A BAD VECTOR DOWNWIND TO BASE, WHICH NEGATED ANY TIME WE MIGHT HAVE SAVED IN THE FIRST PLACE. NOW LATE AND HAVING MISSED ONCE ALREADY, WE CUT NO CORNERS ON THE NEXT APCH AND LANDED SAFELY. ALTHOUGH WE COULD HAVE, IN RETROSPECT, SLOWED MUCH MORE PRIOR TO THE FIRST CONTACT WITH ELLSWORTH AND BRIEFED/SET-UP ALL APCH OPTIONS, THE FACT IS MOST ARPTS WE FLY INTO THE SIZE OF RAP AND WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC AS RAP, HAVE AN ATIS FREQ/ RAP NEEDS AN ATIS. WHEN HELD TO TIGHT SCHEDULES IN AN ACFT THAT DOES EASILY 5 MI PER MIN OR MORE, FLC'S NEED TO STAY WAY, WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME -- THIS MEANS RECEIVING AN ATIS 60-70 MI (AT LEAST) OUT AND PLANNING AND REHEARSING AN IAP (IF NECESSARY) ACCORDINGLY.

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.