Narrative:

Was called at XA56 local for a medivac to soldotna, ak. Checked WX and NOTAMS shortly after XB00, WX was marginal VFR and no runway NOTAMS. We were delayed on takeoff until XC43, went to sxq and were cleared for the NDB runway 25 approximately XE12 and cleared to advisory frequency. We went to the CTAF 122.5. There is also a remote for ena FSS on 122.35, but I feel the proper frequency to be on is traffic. We broke out a bit above minimums and I noticed snow on the runway, but it didn't look more than 2-3 inches so I landed. When we were taxiing back I told the first officer to call ena and cancel IFR. Ena said that there was a NOTAM for a runway closure for snow removal and center wanted to know my intentions. I said I was on the ground. I was going to drop my nurses off, and I wanted the NOTAM lifted so I could go to ena. The FSS specialist said 'no big deal, the NOTAM was just issued at XE40 and had not gotten into the system in time.' when ena FSS could not find the airport manager, I called company dispatch and asked them to get involved, it was about XF45 and I asked them to pull up paen and sxq and check NOTAMS, and the runway NOTAM was still not in the system. In fact, we did a flight to paom later and the NOTAM did not get into the system until at least XK30 local. We finally got a hold of the airport manager and departed without incident and went to paen. In talking to paom FSS, he said there is usually one FSS specialist at ena that puts in NOTAMS and that position is swamped with all the airports they are responsible for. So I feel part of the problem was the super station concept in trying to save manpower expense, the FAA does not get information into the system in a timely manner anymore. I also feel that the increased pilot workload by having multiple frequencys at airports means the pilot has to assign a priority to who he has time to contact, and in this case it is the CTAF. If FSS had gotten the NOTAM into the system, center would not have cleared us for an approach. I think the system let us down by not getting the information out in the ATC system. They should have more people inputting the NOTAM information and I think they should have all the uncontrolled airports assigned to 1 FSS specialist on 1 frequency, like 122.9. The super station was supposed to mean better service, but it has resulted in an inability to get timely information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDIVAC FLT OF A BE20 LANDS AT SNOW COVERED ARPT. PLT THEN TOLD IT IS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. THE NOTAM HAD NOT YET GOTTEN INTO THE SYS HOWEVER AND SO RPTR WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

Narrative: WAS CALLED AT XA56 LCL FOR A MEDIVAC TO SOLDOTNA, AK. CHKED WX AND NOTAMS SHORTLY AFTER XB00, WX WAS MARGINAL VFR AND NO RWY NOTAMS. WE WERE DELAYED ON TKOF UNTIL XC43, WENT TO SXQ AND WERE CLRED FOR THE NDB RWY 25 APPROX XE12 AND CLRED TO ADVISORY FREQ. WE WENT TO THE CTAF 122.5. THERE IS ALSO A REMOTE FOR ENA FSS ON 122.35, BUT I FEEL THE PROPER FREQ TO BE ON IS TFC. WE BROKE OUT A BIT ABOVE MINIMUMS AND I NOTICED SNOW ON THE RWY, BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK MORE THAN 2-3 INCHES SO I LANDED. WHEN WE WERE TAXIING BACK I TOLD THE FO TO CALL ENA AND CANCEL IFR. ENA SAID THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM FOR A RWY CLOSURE FOR SNOW REMOVAL AND CTR WANTED TO KNOW MY INTENTIONS. I SAID I WAS ON THE GND. I WAS GOING TO DROP MY NURSES OFF, AND I WANTED THE NOTAM LIFTED SO I COULD GO TO ENA. THE FSS SPECIALIST SAID 'NO BIG DEAL, THE NOTAM WAS JUST ISSUED AT XE40 AND HAD NOT GOTTEN INTO THE SYS IN TIME.' WHEN ENA FSS COULD NOT FIND THE ARPT MGR, I CALLED COMPANY DISPATCH AND ASKED THEM TO GET INVOLVED, IT WAS ABOUT XF45 AND I ASKED THEM TO PULL UP PAEN AND SXQ AND CHK NOTAMS, AND THE RWY NOTAM WAS STILL NOT IN THE SYS. IN FACT, WE DID A FLT TO PAOM LATER AND THE NOTAM DID NOT GET INTO THE SYS UNTIL AT LEAST XK30 LCL. WE FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF THE ARPT MGR AND DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WENT TO PAEN. IN TALKING TO PAOM FSS, HE SAID THERE IS USUALLY ONE FSS SPECIALIST AT ENA THAT PUTS IN NOTAMS AND THAT POS IS SWAMPED WITH ALL THE ARPTS THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO I FEEL PART OF THE PROB WAS THE SUPER STATION CONCEPT IN TRYING TO SAVE MANPOWER EXPENSE, THE FAA DOES NOT GET INFO INTO THE SYS IN A TIMELY MANNER ANYMORE. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE INCREASED PLT WORKLOAD BY HAVING MULTIPLE FREQS AT ARPTS MEANS THE PLT HAS TO ASSIGN A PRIORITY TO WHO HE HAS TIME TO CONTACT, AND IN THIS CASE IT IS THE CTAF. IF FSS HAD GOTTEN THE NOTAM INTO THE SYS, CTR WOULD NOT HAVE CLRED US FOR AN APCH. I THINK THE SYS LET US DOWN BY NOT GETTING THE INFO OUT IN THE ATC SYS. THEY SHOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE INPUTTING THE NOTAM INFO AND I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE ALL THE UNCTLED ARPTS ASSIGNED TO 1 FSS SPECIALIST ON 1 FREQ, LIKE 122.9. THE SUPER STATION WAS SUPPOSED TO MEAN BETTER SVC, BUT IT HAS RESULTED IN AN INABILITY TO GET TIMELY INFO.

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.