Narrative:

Historically my company's NOTAM quality has been very poor. Many NOTAMS were out of date yet remained in our paperwork. We were en route sfo-jfk. We observed WX not improving as forecast and that runway 13L was in use, although digital ATIS showed RVR readings for runway 4R. Upon reading NOTAMS, we saw #1/37 saying CAT ii and CAT III approachs not authority/authorized. (Note: there is no CAT III to this runway.) I called dispatch to determine if NOTAM was accurate and after calling ZNY, he said that no one knew why that NOTAM was there. After arriving in jfk terminal area runway 4L ILS CAT III approachs were in use. However, RVR decreased to 500 ft and we subsequently diverted. After refueling in phl and anticipating an ILS to runway 4R, we got ATIS showing ILS's to runway 13L, reported RVR as 6000 ft with 100 ft overcast. This was my first low visibility day since checking out as captain and the way WX seemed to be deteriorating, we decided to autoland via a CAT ii approach. Sent another inquiry to dispatch to see if he had more information on the NOTAM and he never responded. Asked jfk approach about NOTAM and they said they didn't know anything about it. So, I figured the NOTAM was incorrect on our papers and did a CAT ii/autoland (autoland is required company procedure on CAT ii). After a few days of trying to research and have NOTAM removed, I discovered that it was valid due to threshold crossing problems due to some previous taxiway construction. I feel kind of dumb that I did this even though approach seemed ok. I think ATC should know the current status of all NOTAMS/limitations for the approachs they are utilizing, even though I technically possessed the proper information to make a decision. The ability to verify this with approach would have been an added safeguard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB PIC RPT ON HIS USE OF AUTOLAND DURING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 13L, A NON CAT II AUTH APCH, JFK, NY.

Narrative: HISTORICALLY MY COMPANY'S NOTAM QUALITY HAS BEEN VERY POOR. MANY NOTAMS WERE OUT OF DATE YET REMAINED IN OUR PAPERWORK. WE WERE ENRTE SFO-JFK. WE OBSERVED WX NOT IMPROVING AS FORECAST AND THAT RWY 13L WAS IN USE, ALTHOUGH DIGITAL ATIS SHOWED RVR READINGS FOR RWY 4R. UPON READING NOTAMS, WE SAW #1/37 SAYING CAT II AND CAT III APCHS NOT AUTH. (NOTE: THERE IS NO CAT III TO THIS RWY.) I CALLED DISPATCH TO DETERMINE IF NOTAM WAS ACCURATE AND AFTER CALLING ZNY, HE SAID THAT NO ONE KNEW WHY THAT NOTAM WAS THERE. AFTER ARRIVING IN JFK TERMINAL AREA RWY 4L ILS CAT III APCHS WERE IN USE. HOWEVER, RVR DECREASED TO 500 FT AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY DIVERTED. AFTER REFUELING IN PHL AND ANTICIPATING AN ILS TO RWY 4R, WE GOT ATIS SHOWING ILS'S TO RWY 13L, RPTED RVR AS 6000 FT WITH 100 FT OVCST. THIS WAS MY FIRST LOW VISIBILITY DAY SINCE CHKING OUT AS CAPT AND THE WAY WX SEEMED TO BE DETERIORATING, WE DECIDED TO AUTOLAND VIA A CAT II APCH. SENT ANOTHER INQUIRY TO DISPATCH TO SEE IF HE HAD MORE INFO ON THE NOTAM AND HE NEVER RESPONDED. ASKED JFK APCH ABOUT NOTAM AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO, I FIGURED THE NOTAM WAS INCORRECT ON OUR PAPERS AND DID A CAT II/AUTOLAND (AUTOLAND IS REQUIRED COMPANY PROC ON CAT II). AFTER A FEW DAYS OF TRYING TO RESEARCH AND HAVE NOTAM REMOVED, I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS VALID DUE TO THRESHOLD XING PROBS DUE TO SOME PREVIOUS TXWY CONSTRUCTION. I FEEL KIND OF DUMB THAT I DID THIS EVEN THOUGH APCH SEEMED OK. I THINK ATC SHOULD KNOW THE CURRENT STATUS OF ALL NOTAMS/LIMITATIONS FOR THE APCHS THEY ARE UTILIZING, EVEN THOUGH I TECHNICALLY POSSESSED THE PROPER INFO TO MAKE A DECISION. THE ABILITY TO VERIFY THIS WITH APCH WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ADDED SAFEGUARD.

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.