Narrative:

Flying the VOR DME runway 25 approach to san salvador on oct/xa/98 at approximately XX00 pm in moderate rain with a 1000 ft ceiling with about 6 mi visibility, the first officer commented, when we broke out of the overcast and at 600 ft MSL, that he felt that we were too low. We were at 3.8 DME on the 069 degree radial, descending to 460 ft MDA. I disconnected the autoplt and climbed to 900 ft, stayed visual at the base of the overcast until the VASI became red over white and began descent again and landed uneventfully. We discussed this approach plate and didn't understand why there was a FAF without an altitude. Upon returning home and researching the approach plate further, our training department checked with chart maker and it was determined that the 1500 ft final approach altitude was omitted from the plate and this plate revised date was feb/xx/98. At the final approach altitude, my aircraft was at 600 ft MSL, not the required 1500 ft. As you can see, the plate was later revised and corrected as our training department contacted chart maker to inquire into the old plate. I don't know if this plate previously had a FAF altitude or not, but I would like to think that you could convince me that there are no other plates like this in central or south america. When any aircraft -- especially my B737 aircraft with me at the controls -- is 900 ft too low at the FAF, I couldn't let this go very easily. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he had sent this report in late at the advice of his safety department. He had told them of the incident and wanted them to find out if the approach plate publisher had any other plates without a FAF displayed on the profile. That correction came about as a result of his company safety department calling the publisher about the deficiency. He was not advised by anyone that the plate had been corrected. Reporter was advised that this office has no way to review all the approach plates. Reporter was given the FAA hotline to call since the subject plate had been corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 PIC RPT REGARDING AN APCH PLATE DEFICIENCY FOR THE IAP VOR DME APCH, RWY 25 AT EL SALVADOR. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAF ALT PUBLISHED. THE PIC DSNDED PREMATURELY TOWARDS THE MDA OF 460 FT MSL WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE CROSSED THE 3 PT 6 DME AT 1500 FT MSL. SUBSEQUENT CHART WAS CORRECTED WITH THE ALT AT THE FAF OF 3 PT 6 DME SHOWN AS 1500 FT MSL.

Narrative: FLYING THE VOR DME RWY 25 APCH TO SAN SALVADOR ON OCT/XA/98 AT APPROX XX00 PM IN MODERATE RAIN WITH A 1000 FT CEILING WITH ABOUT 6 MI VISIBILITY, THE FO COMMENTED, WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AND AT 600 FT MSL, THAT HE FELT THAT WE WERE TOO LOW. WE WERE AT 3.8 DME ON THE 069 DEG RADIAL, DSNDING TO 460 FT MDA. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CLBED TO 900 FT, STAYED VISUAL AT THE BASE OF THE OVCST UNTIL THE VASI BECAME RED OVER WHITE AND BEGAN DSCNT AGAIN AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE DISCUSSED THIS APCH PLATE AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WAS A FAF WITHOUT AN ALT. UPON RETURNING HOME AND RESEARCHING THE APCH PLATE FURTHER, OUR TRAINING DEPT CHKED WITH CHART MAKER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE 1500 FT FINAL APCH ALT WAS OMITTED FROM THE PLATE AND THIS PLATE REVISED DATE WAS FEB/XX/98. AT THE FINAL APCH ALT, MY ACFT WAS AT 600 FT MSL, NOT THE REQUIRED 1500 FT. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PLATE WAS LATER REVISED AND CORRECTED AS OUR TRAINING DEPT CONTACTED CHART MAKER TO INQUIRE INTO THE OLD PLATE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS PLATE PREVIOUSLY HAD A FAF ALT OR NOT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU COULD CONVINCE ME THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER PLATES LIKE THIS IN CENTRAL OR SOUTH AMERICA. WHEN ANY ACFT -- ESPECIALLY MY B737 ACFT WITH ME AT THE CTLS -- IS 900 FT TOO LOW AT THE FAF, I COULDN'T LET THIS GO VERY EASILY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD SENT THIS RPT IN LATE AT THE ADVICE OF HIS SAFETY DEPT. HE HAD TOLD THEM OF THE INCIDENT AND WANTED THEM TO FIND OUT IF THE APCH PLATE PUBLISHER HAD ANY OTHER PLATES WITHOUT A FAF DISPLAYED ON THE PROFILE. THAT CORRECTION CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF HIS COMPANY SAFETY DEPT CALLING THE PUBLISHER ABOUT THE DEFICIENCY. HE WAS NOT ADVISED BY ANYONE THAT THE PLATE HAD BEEN CORRECTED. RPTR WAS ADVISED THAT THIS OFFICE HAS NO WAY TO REVIEW ALL THE APCH PLATES. RPTR WAS GIVEN THE FAA HOTLINE TO CALL SINCE THE SUBJECT PLATE HAD BEEN CORRECTED.

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.