Narrative:

I was working south radar and an aircraft requested to do the VOR/DME RNAV runway 3 at hxd. I know the final approach fix was gorge but was unsure of the altitude the aircraft had to cross the FAF (gorge). I could not use the ids-4 because it was not there. I looked for the approach plate book there was none for south carolina, and looked in the position binder for the approach plates. There was approach plates xerox but the date was feb 1998 which I know was out of date. The supervisor went and got me approach plates somewhere in the facility. Solution! Have the position binder have approach plates that are usable, not out of date. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter confirmed again that the charts both in the tower and approach are generally outdated. They have a system at their facility that will copy the charts but leaves the effective date of the chart off. So everyone is really not sure they have the latest information. I suggested that the person responsible for providing this information to the control position, hand write the effective date and the termination date if necessary, on the chart, in an area, so it can be seen by everyone. Reporter said that she would look into doing just that. I asked her, what is the facility management saying about all this? She said, at present, the staff specialist that is assigned to update the charts, has been attending school, just as soon as the specialist returns, the facility manager has assured her that the problem will be fixed. In the interim, she said she usually carries her own approach plate publication (the latest one) with her. This ensures in her mind, when she has to consult the publication, she knows she has the latest information. She also shares this with her co-workers on the same shift. Doing this keeps her out of harms way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE VECTORING AN INBOUND ACFT FOR AN APCH TO HXD, THERE WERE NO UPDATED APCH PLATES AVAILABLE TO XCHK THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE APCH.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING SOUTH RADAR AND AN ACFT REQUESTED TO DO THE VOR/DME RNAV RWY 3 AT HXD. I KNOW THE FINAL APCH FIX WAS GORGE BUT WAS UNSURE OF THE ALT THE ACFT HAD TO CROSS THE FAF (GORGE). I COULD NOT USE THE IDS-4 BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THERE. I LOOKED FOR THE APCH PLATE BOOK THERE WAS NONE FOR SOUTH CAROLINA, AND LOOKED IN THE POS BINDER FOR THE APCH PLATES. THERE WAS APCH PLATES XEROX BUT THE DATE WAS FEB 1998 WHICH I KNOW WAS OUT OF DATE. THE SUPVR WENT AND GOT ME APCH PLATES SOMEWHERE IN THE FACILITY. SOLUTION! HAVE THE POS BINDER HAVE APCH PLATES THAT ARE USABLE, NOT OUT OF DATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CONFIRMED AGAIN THAT THE CHARTS BOTH IN THE TWR AND APCH ARE GENERALLY OUTDATED. THEY HAVE A SYS AT THEIR FACILITY THAT WILL COPY THE CHARTS BUT LEAVES THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHART OFF. SO EVERYONE IS REALLY NOT SURE THEY HAVE THE LATEST INFO. I SUGGESTED THAT THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THIS INFO TO THE CTL POS, HAND WRITE THE EFFECTIVE DATE AND THE TERMINATION DATE IF NECESSARY, ON THE CHART, IN AN AREA, SO IT CAN BE SEEN BY EVERYONE. RPTR SAID THAT SHE WOULD LOOK INTO DOING JUST THAT. I ASKED HER, WHAT IS THE FACILITY MGMNT SAYING ABOUT ALL THIS? SHE SAID, AT PRESENT, THE STAFF SPECIALIST THAT IS ASSIGNED TO UPDATE THE CHARTS, HAS BEEN ATTENDING SCHOOL, JUST AS SOON AS THE SPECIALIST RETURNS, THE FACILITY MGR HAS ASSURED HER THAT THE PROB WILL BE FIXED. IN THE INTERIM, SHE SAID SHE USUALLY CARRIES HER OWN APCH PLATE PUB (THE LATEST ONE) WITH HER. THIS ENSURES IN HER MIND, WHEN SHE HAS TO CONSULT THE PUB, SHE KNOWS SHE HAS THE LATEST INFO. SHE ALSO SHARES THIS WITH HER CO-WORKERS ON THE SAME SHIFT. DOING THIS KEEPS HER OUT OF HARMS WAY.

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.