Narrative:

The required items for an approach briefing recently have become quite numerous. When the destination WX is hovering at CAT III minimums, this briefing can be given during cruise because the approach and landing runway are usually known well in advance. Our latest change to the DC9 operating manual now requires this briefing for all instrument approachs, instead of the former requirement to brief only when the WX is less than 1000 ft -- 3 mi. It seems that most of our lndgs are made in good VFR conditions, often utilizing more than 1 runway, with lots of traffic. Under these circumstances, if you do not know which airplane to follow to the airport, the approach controller usually will clear you for the ILS approach. Because of the uncertainty of which runway will be assigned and because a visual approach is expected, an approach briefing during cruise is usually not given. However, because of the approach clearance, attention to traffic watch and airplane control must now compete with an approach briefing suitable for CAT III operations simply because the crew was unsure of which airplane to follow. Please consider allowing our captain's to determine when an approach briefing should be given, and what items to include in that briefing. If this cannot be allowed, please consider returning this lengthy briefing requirement to conditions when the WX is less than 1000 ft -- 3 mi. Thank you.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR BELIEVES THE FULL IFR APCH BRIEFING MANDATORY IN VMC CONDITIONS AS REQUIRED BY THE COMPANY IS IMPRACTICAL.

Narrative: THE REQUIRED ITEMS FOR AN APCH BRIEFING RECENTLY HAVE BECOME QUITE NUMEROUS. WHEN THE DEST WX IS HOVERING AT CAT III MINIMUMS, THIS BRIEFING CAN BE GIVEN DURING CRUISE BECAUSE THE APCH AND LNDG RWY ARE USUALLY KNOWN WELL IN ADVANCE. OUR LATEST CHANGE TO THE DC9 OPERATING MANUAL NOW REQUIRES THIS BRIEFING FOR ALL INST APCHS, INSTEAD OF THE FORMER REQUIREMENT TO BRIEF ONLY WHEN THE WX IS LESS THAN 1000 FT -- 3 MI. IT SEEMS THAT MOST OF OUR LNDGS ARE MADE IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS, OFTEN UTILIZING MORE THAN 1 RWY, WITH LOTS OF TFC. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHICH AIRPLANE TO FOLLOW TO THE ARPT, THE APCH CTLR USUALLY WILL CLR YOU FOR THE ILS APCH. BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHICH RWY WILL BE ASSIGNED AND BECAUSE A VISUAL APCH IS EXPECTED, AN APCH BRIEFING DURING CRUISE IS USUALLY NOT GIVEN. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE APCH CLRNC, ATTN TO TFC WATCH AND AIRPLANE CTL MUST NOW COMPETE WITH AN APCH BRIEFING SUITABLE FOR CAT III OPS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE CREW WAS UNSURE OF WHICH AIRPLANE TO FOLLOW. PLEASE CONSIDER ALLOWING OUR CAPT'S TO DETERMINE WHEN AN APCH BRIEFING SHOULD BE GIVEN, AND WHAT ITEMS TO INCLUDE IN THAT BRIEFING. IF THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED, PLEASE CONSIDER RETURNING THIS LENGTHY BRIEFING REQUIREMENT TO CONDITIONS WHEN THE WX IS LESS THAN 1000 FT -- 3 MI. THANK YOU.

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.