Seneca pilot on IFR flight plan discovers a tower not shown on chart upon breaking out of clouds.

Attributes
ACN	341515
Time
Date	199607
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5b5
State Reference	VT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1179 agl bound upper : 1179
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : alb
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	341515
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I have sent along several charts which show inconsistencies in the depiction of obstacles around the bennington, vermont, airport: a commercial chart from 1983 shows several obstacles as they were depicted over 10 yrs ago and which is similar to how they are depicted on current nos sectional charts. I have enclosed commercial current version and nos' current printing. I believe the differences between the reality of the bennington airport environment and what is depicted in both the government and commercial versions poses a danger to pilots arriving under IFR conditions. Please note that I drew in one of the obstacles for my own reference on the commercial chart (circled in red). Also I wrote commercial company over a year ago (for the second time) regarding this problem and have never gotten a response. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the first time he went into this airport he was IFR and broke out then saw the tower. He wondered where that came from since it was not on his chart. In addition to writing twice to the commercial company, he has called them as well. They are usually very responsive, but he has heard nothing from them. Aircraft he was flying was a piper seneca. Reporter feels this is a very dangerous situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SENECA PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN DISCOVERS A TWR NOT SHOWN ON CHART UPON BREAKING OUT OF CLOUDS.

Narrative: I HAVE SENT ALONG SEVERAL CHARTS WHICH SHOW INCONSISTENCIES IN THE DEPICTION OF OBSTACLES AROUND THE BENNINGTON, VERMONT, ARPT: A COMMERCIAL CHART FROM 1983 SHOWS SEVERAL OBSTACLES AS THEY WERE DEPICTED OVER 10 YRS AGO AND WHICH IS SIMILAR TO HOW THEY ARE DEPICTED ON CURRENT NOS SECTIONAL CHARTS. I HAVE ENCLOSED COMMERCIAL CURRENT VERSION AND NOS' CURRENT PRINTING. I BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCES BTWN THE REALITY OF THE BENNINGTON ARPT ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT IS DEPICTED IN BOTH THE GOV AND COMMERCIAL VERSIONS POSES A DANGER TO PLTS ARRIVING UNDER IFR CONDITIONS. PLEASE NOTE THAT I DREW IN ONE OF THE OBSTACLES FOR MY OWN REF ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART (CIRCLED IN RED). ALSO I WROTE COMMERCIAL COMPANY OVER A YEAR AGO (FOR THE SECOND TIME) REGARDING THIS PROB AND HAVE NEVER GOTTEN A RESPONSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE FIRST TIME HE WENT INTO THIS ARPT HE WAS IFR AND BROKE OUT THEN SAW THE TWR. HE WONDERED WHERE THAT CAME FROM SINCE IT WAS NOT ON HIS CHART. IN ADDITION TO WRITING TWICE TO THE COMMERCIAL COMPANY, HE HAS CALLED THEM AS WELL. THEY ARE USUALLY VERY RESPONSIVE, BUT HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM. ACFT HE WAS FLYING WAS A PIPER SENECA. RPTR FEELS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SIT.

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.