Narrative:

We were positioning from vrb to 28J to set up for a revenue flight. The WX was looked over carefully and my first officer obtained a standard WX brief for 28J. No NOTAMS were given by FSS preventing us from proceeding to 28J or affecting us when we arrived at 28J. The WX was lower than forecast when we arrived at 28J due to thunderstorms which had moved through the area about 45 mins prior to our arrival. We shot the NDB runway 9 approach (only approach for airport) and went missed approach on our first attempt due to low clouds preventing us from seeing the airport until just about over it. We decided to shoot one more NDB runway 9 approach to 28J before diverting. This time we were able to pick up the airport in time using the straight-in minimums (which we also used on the previous approach), and we landed on runway 9. After landing I noticed a sign saying approachs to runway 9 and lndgs on runway 9 were not available due to a tree problem on approach/in approach area. The letter also mentioned that because these NOTAMS had been in effect for such a long time they were now published. I called the gnv FSS and found out that a local NOTAM existed stating that runway 9 was not available for landing. Also a published NOTAM existed stating that straight-in minimums for the NDB runway 9 were not applicable. I realize that it is the pilot's responsibility to obtain all available information prior to flight. Unfortunately we did not check published and local NOTAMS for 28J and this situation occurred. I also know that most crews do not check these items either. Every time I have requested local or published NOTAMS, the FSS WX briefer has acted as if it was a chore to do so. They also put me on hold while they said, 'let me see if I can find the book,' when obtaining the published NOTAMS. This is an indication to me that the information is not used all that often if each briefer does not have immediate access to the books. I would like to see airports flagged in the FSS system if there are any published or local NOTAMS pertaining to approachs or runway usage availability for pilots. The whole NOTAM would not have to be written out. Maybe just an left or fdc with what it pertains to following the left or fdc (eg, fdc- approach or l-rwy or l-obstruction). Once alerted, the pilot could decide if they wanted to find out more about the NOTAM if it was pertinent to their flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C550 SHOT AN APCH TO 28J, UNAWARE THAT A NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED STATING THAT THE STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUMS FOR RWY 9 HAD BEEN CHANGED TO NOT AUTH AND THAT RWY 9 WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR LNDG. THIS NOTAM HAD NOT BEEN DELIVERED BY GNV FSS DURING THE CREW BRIEFING.

Narrative: WE WERE POSITIONING FROM VRB TO 28J TO SET UP FOR A REVENUE FLT. THE WX WAS LOOKED OVER CAREFULLY AND MY FO OBTAINED A STANDARD WX BRIEF FOR 28J. NO NOTAMS WERE GIVEN BY FSS PREVENTING US FROM PROCEEDING TO 28J OR AFFECTING US WHEN WE ARRIVED AT 28J. THE WX WAS LOWER THAN FORECAST WHEN WE ARRIVED AT 28J DUE TO TSTMS WHICH HAD MOVED THROUGH THE AREA ABOUT 45 MINS PRIOR TO OUR ARR. WE SHOT THE NDB RWY 9 APCH (ONLY APCH FOR ARPT) AND WENT MISSED APCH ON OUR FIRST ATTEMPT DUE TO LOW CLOUDS PREVENTING US FROM SEEING THE ARPT UNTIL JUST ABOUT OVER IT. WE DECIDED TO SHOOT ONE MORE NDB RWY 9 APCH TO 28J BEFORE DIVERTING. THIS TIME WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP THE ARPT IN TIME USING THE STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUMS (WHICH WE ALSO USED ON THE PREVIOUS APCH), AND WE LANDED ON RWY 9. AFTER LNDG I NOTICED A SIGN SAYING APCHS TO RWY 9 AND LNDGS ON RWY 9 WERE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO A TREE PROB ON APCH/IN APCH AREA. THE LETTER ALSO MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE THESE NOTAMS HAD BEEN IN EFFECT FOR SUCH A LONG TIME THEY WERE NOW PUBLISHED. I CALLED THE GNV FSS AND FOUND OUT THAT A LCL NOTAM EXISTED STATING THAT RWY 9 WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR LNDG. ALSO A PUBLISHED NOTAM EXISTED STATING THAT STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUMS FOR THE NDB RWY 9 WERE NOT APPLICABLE. I REALIZE THAT IT IS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN ALL AVAILABLE INFO PRIOR TO FLT. UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT CHK PUBLISHED AND LCL NOTAMS FOR 28J AND THIS SIT OCCURRED. I ALSO KNOW THAT MOST CREWS DO NOT CHK THESE ITEMS EITHER. EVERY TIME I HAVE REQUESTED LCL OR PUBLISHED NOTAMS, THE FSS WX BRIEFER HAS ACTED AS IF IT WAS A CHORE TO DO SO. THEY ALSO PUT ME ON HOLD WHILE THEY SAID, 'LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND THE BOOK,' WHEN OBTAINING THE PUBLISHED NOTAMS. THIS IS AN INDICATION TO ME THAT THE INFO IS NOT USED ALL THAT OFTEN IF EACH BRIEFER DOES NOT HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THE BOOKS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ARPTS FLAGGED IN THE FSS SYS IF THERE ARE ANY PUBLISHED OR LCL NOTAMS PERTAINING TO APCHS OR RWY USAGE AVAILABILITY FOR PLTS. THE WHOLE NOTAM WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE WRITTEN OUT. MAYBE JUST AN L OR FDC WITH WHAT IT PERTAINS TO FOLLOWING THE L OR FDC (EG, FDC- APCH OR L-RWY OR L-OBSTRUCTION). ONCE ALERTED, THE PLT COULD DECIDE IF THEY WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE NOTAM IF IT WAS PERTINENT TO THEIR FLT.

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.