Narrative:

On two separate part 135 on-demand FSS WX briefs, NOTAMS and outages (in the 022-NDB IFR brief) were asked for from oakland FSS. No mention was made of a runway closure that had been closed for quite some time with no 'X's.' on a second flight the NDB at 022 (columbia) was not given as an outage/NOTAM when asked on a preparation special service inbound with staff onboard, not knowing that this airport didn't have an approach on IFR flight plan. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he was on an IFR flight plan and only learned of the NDB outage when he told ATC that he could not pick up the NDB. They informed him it had been OTS for some time. He found out that the time had been 4-5 yrs. However, there still shows an NDB on the sectional chart, on the WAC chart and on the commercial instrument approach chart and the NOAA approach chart. There is a notation in the airport facility directory regarding the OTS status, but reporter says the special service flts do not have time to reference the airport facility directory and rely on briefings from FSS when they are on such quick notice as this flight was. He was fortunate to be able to receive vectors into the valley and made his VFR approach under the clouds. This was an emergency situation and could have resulted in death of a patient had the VFR approach not been possible. Reporter feels there is a kink in the NOTAM system as once it is published it is removed from FSS briefings. He does acknowledge that it is pilot responsibility to acquire all information but feels there is a better way to handle NOTAMS. With computers now in use it could be possible to key in a route of flight and be able to have NOTAMS for that route available at FSS. He also feels this way there would not need to be 'left' and 'D' NOTAMS. They could all be available when requesting NOTAMS during preflight briefings. He has had more than his share of NOTAM problems. The closed runway at mather is another example. There are no 'X's' on the runway. The only notice is in the airport notation facility directory and he was not aware of the closure until after landing when informed by ground personnel. He had a flight into oregon where there was drag racing on the runway. Fortunately he noticed the activity and did a missed approach to land on another runway. He had asked for NOTAMS but was not given the information. He makes a sincere plea for some help in the NOTAM system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 ON AMBULANCE FLT IS CLRED FOR AN NDB APCH WHEN NDB HAS BEEN OTS FOR SEVERAL YRS. NOTAM PROBS.

Narrative: ON TWO SEPARATE PART 135 ON-DEMAND FSS WX BRIEFS, NOTAMS AND OUTAGES (IN THE 022-NDB IFR BRIEF) WERE ASKED FOR FROM OAKLAND FSS. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF A RWY CLOSURE THAT HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITH NO 'X'S.' ON A SECOND FLT THE NDB AT 022 (COLUMBIA) WAS NOT GIVEN AS AN OUTAGE/NOTAM WHEN ASKED ON A PREPARATION SPECIAL SERVICE INBOUND WITH STAFF ONBOARD, NOT KNOWING THAT THIS ARPT DIDN'T HAVE AN APCH ON IFR FLT PLAN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ONLY LEARNED OF THE NDB OUTAGE WHEN HE TOLD ATC THAT HE COULD NOT PICK UP THE NDB. THEY INFORMED HIM IT HAD BEEN OTS FOR SOME TIME. HE FOUND OUT THAT THE TIME HAD BEEN 4-5 YRS. HOWEVER, THERE STILL SHOWS AN NDB ON THE SECTIONAL CHART, ON THE WAC CHART AND ON THE COMMERCIAL INST APCH CHART AND THE NOAA APCH CHART. THERE IS A NOTATION IN THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY REGARDING THE OTS STATUS, BUT RPTR SAYS THE SPECIAL SERVICE FLTS DO NOT HAVE TIME TO REF THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY AND RELY ON BRIEFINGS FROM FSS WHEN THEY ARE ON SUCH QUICK NOTICE AS THIS FLT WAS. HE WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE VECTORS INTO THE VALLEY AND MADE HIS VFR APCH UNDER THE CLOUDS. THIS WAS AN EMER SIT AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN DEATH OF A PATIENT HAD THE VFR APCH NOT BEEN POSSIBLE. RPTR FEELS THERE IS A KINK IN THE NOTAM SYS AS ONCE IT IS PUBLISHED IT IS REMOVED FROM FSS BRIEFINGS. HE DOES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS PLT RESPONSIBILITY TO ACQUIRE ALL INFO BUT FEELS THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE NOTAMS. WITH COMPUTERS NOW IN USE IT COULD BE POSSIBLE TO KEY IN A RTE OF FLT AND BE ABLE TO HAVE NOTAMS FOR THAT RTE AVAILABLE AT FSS. HE ALSO FEELS THIS WAY THERE WOULD NOT NEED TO BE 'L' AND 'D' NOTAMS. THEY COULD ALL BE AVAILABLE WHEN REQUESTING NOTAMS DURING PREFLT BRIEFINGS. HE HAS HAD MORE THAN HIS SHARE OF NOTAM PROBS. THE CLOSED RWY AT MATHER IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE. THERE ARE NO 'X'S' ON THE RWY. THE ONLY NOTICE IS IN THE ARPT NOTATION FACILITY DIRECTORY AND HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CLOSURE UNTIL AFTER LNDG WHEN INFORMED BY GND PERSONNEL. HE HAD A FLT INTO OREGON WHERE THERE WAS DRAG RACING ON THE RWY. FORTUNATELY HE NOTICED THE ACTIVITY AND DID A MISSED APCH TO LAND ON ANOTHER RWY. HE HAD ASKED FOR NOTAMS BUT WAS NOT GIVEN THE INFO. HE MAKES A SINCERE PLEA FOR SOME HELP IN THE NOTAM SYS.

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.