The NOTAM system failed an small aircraft pilot.

Attributes
ACN	307130
Time
Date	199506
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pxt
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nhk tower : atl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 260 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	307130
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan into the baltimore area. Thunderstorms from a cold front were approaching from the west. My flight plan called for me to proceed nne to a point some 20 NM east of baltimore, and then fly west. I asked patuxent approach for direct nottingham VOR, which would cut off the dog-leg. I had tuned in nottingham, and was receiving the hiwas and DME signals as well as navigation signals. I thought I heard the NAVAID identify. Patuxent cleared me direct nottingham. On my way to nottingham, I tuned in the baltimore VOR and idented it, and copied the ATIS information. Patuxent approach turned me over to andrews approach. Andrews asked me how I was navigating, and I told them direct nottingham. Andrews informed me that nottingham VOR was OTS. I asked for, and received, direct baltimore VOR. When I planned my route and called flight service, nottingham VOR was not included in my flight plan. When I got on the ground, I checked and nottingham was listed in the d-notams as OTS. Flight service won't tell me about OTS navaids not on my plan unless I ask, and then I need to know what files the various navaids are in. I will keep this experience in mind, and ask about potential shortcuts in the future. It would be useful, however, if the en route NAVAID data were more accessible. I am curious why patuxent approach didn't know that a VOR 25 NM away was OTS, but ultimately it's my responsibility. I just wish information like this wasn't so hard to come by. I will also be more careful identing navaids in the future, specifically listening for both the DME and VOR idents. Then, if I do hear them, I can inform ATC that I did hear the idents, and be more confident in my decision, and not have to file an ASRS form. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter is based near ott, and was flying in 'his backyard.' he uses compuserve for his flight planning and NOTAM service. He may not have checked the ott NOTAMS specifically before this flight and there is the possibility that ott navigation function went down while he was airborne. He is now aware of the FAA safety hotline. He agrees that he is not the first person to have the NOTAM system fail him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE NOTAM SYS FAILED AN SMA PLT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN INTO THE BALTIMORE AREA. TSTMS FROM A COLD FRONT WERE APCHING FROM THE W. MY FLT PLAN CALLED FOR ME TO PROCEED NNE TO A POINT SOME 20 NM E OF BALTIMORE, AND THEN FLY W. I ASKED PATUXENT APCH FOR DIRECT NOTTINGHAM VOR, WHICH WOULD CUT OFF THE DOG-LEG. I HAD TUNED IN NOTTINGHAM, AND WAS RECEIVING THE HIWAS AND DME SIGNALS AS WELL AS NAV SIGNALS. I THOUGHT I HEARD THE NAVAID IDENT. PATUXENT CLRED ME DIRECT NOTTINGHAM. ON MY WAY TO NOTTINGHAM, I TUNED IN THE BALTIMORE VOR AND IDENTED IT, AND COPIED THE ATIS INFO. PATUXENT APCH TURNED ME OVER TO ANDREWS APCH. ANDREWS ASKED ME HOW I WAS NAVING, AND I TOLD THEM DIRECT NOTTINGHAM. ANDREWS INFORMED ME THAT NOTTINGHAM VOR WAS OTS. I ASKED FOR, AND RECEIVED, DIRECT BALTIMORE VOR. WHEN I PLANNED MY RTE AND CALLED FLT SVC, NOTTINGHAM VOR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN MY FLT PLAN. WHEN I GOT ON THE GND, I CHKED AND NOTTINGHAM WAS LISTED IN THE D-NOTAMS AS OTS. FLT SVC WON'T TELL ME ABOUT OTS NAVAIDS NOT ON MY PLAN UNLESS I ASK, AND THEN I NEED TO KNOW WHAT FILES THE VARIOUS NAVAIDS ARE IN. I WILL KEEP THIS EXPERIENCE IN MIND, AND ASK ABOUT POTENTIAL SHORTCUTS IN THE FUTURE. IT WOULD BE USEFUL, HOWEVER, IF THE ENRTE NAVAID DATA WERE MORE ACCESSIBLE. I AM CURIOUS WHY PATUXENT APCH DIDN'T KNOW THAT A VOR 25 NM AWAY WAS OTS, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. I JUST WISH INFO LIKE THIS WASN'T SO HARD TO COME BY. I WILL ALSO BE MORE CAREFUL IDENTING NAVAIDS IN THE FUTURE, SPECIFICALLY LISTENING FOR BOTH THE DME AND VOR IDENTS. THEN, IF I DO HEAR THEM, I CAN INFORM ATC THAT I DID HEAR THE IDENTS, AND BE MORE CONFIDENT IN MY DECISION, AND NOT HAVE TO FILE AN ASRS FORM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR IS BASED NEAR OTT, AND WAS FLYING IN 'HIS BACKYARD.' HE USES COMPUSERVE FOR HIS FLT PLANNING AND NOTAM SVC. HE MAY NOT HAVE CHKED THE OTT NOTAMS SPECIFICALLY BEFORE THIS FLT AND THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT OTT NAV FUNCTION WENT DOWN WHILE HE WAS AIRBORNE. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE. HE AGREES THAT HE IS NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE THE NOTAM SYS FAIL HIM.

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.