Narrative:

Arriving in los banos (lsn) I discovered that 100LL fuel was not available due to tanks being OTS. I called FSS to ask if this was supposed to be a NOTAM. They said, 'no, should it be?' many airports have automated system with no way to get preflight fueling information. I believe it should be at least notamed. I was able to secure fuel at gustine airport, which also has an automated fuel system. Theirs was operable. With the current problem of the epa closing fuel sites, it would be nice to know. Even if I had tried to call ahead, there is no one to call at lsn. Willows fuel has been out for a while also. There is no way to know till you land most times. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the number listed in the AFD is that of the los banos police department. The caller is to ask that, 'a public services representative be sent out for after hours fueling.' that information is not listed, but the police dispatcher is supposed to know the procedure. A call to the police number did not get a positive response with knowledge of the required coordination being displayed. The personnel at public service for los banos coordinate with the FAA in sacramento for NOTAM issuance, supposedly flight service. That may or may not be a relay for the riu FSS which is the tie-in facility for lsn. The FSS specialist at riu did not know of any NOTAM published for the fuel problem at lsn. Was there a NOTAM issued or wasn't there? There appears to be a missing link in the line of communication in this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI IN A C210 TURBO IS UNABLE TO OBTAIN 100 OCTANE FUEL AT LOS BANOS. THE FUEL TANKS WERE OTS AND THERE WAS NO NOTAM ISSUED THAT RPTR COULD ACCESS. RIU FSS STATED THAT NO NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED.

Narrative: ARRIVING IN LOS BANOS (LSN) I DISCOVERED THAT 100LL FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO TANKS BEING OTS. I CALLED FSS TO ASK IF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A NOTAM. THEY SAID, 'NO, SHOULD IT BE?' MANY ARPTS HAVE AUTOMATED SYS WITH NO WAY TO GET PREFLT FUELING INFO. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST NOTAMED. I WAS ABLE TO SECURE FUEL AT GUSTINE ARPT, WHICH ALSO HAS AN AUTOMATED FUEL SYS. THEIRS WAS OPERABLE. WITH THE CURRENT PROB OF THE EPA CLOSING FUEL SITES, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW. EVEN IF I HAD TRIED TO CALL AHEAD, THERE IS NO ONE TO CALL AT LSN. WILLOWS FUEL HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE ALSO. THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW TILL YOU LAND MOST TIMES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE NUMBER LISTED IN THE AFD IS THAT OF THE LOS BANOS POLICE DEPT. THE CALLER IS TO ASK THAT, 'A PUBLIC SVCS REPRESENTATIVE BE SENT OUT FOR AFTER HRS FUELING.' THAT INFO IS NOT LISTED, BUT THE POLICE DISPATCHER IS SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE PROC. A CALL TO THE POLICE NUMBER DID NOT GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE REQUIRED COORD BEING DISPLAYED. THE PERSONNEL AT PUBLIC SVC FOR LOS BANOS COORDINATE WITH THE FAA IN SACRAMENTO FOR NOTAM ISSUANCE, SUPPOSEDLY FLT SVC. THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A RELAY FOR THE RIU FSS WHICH IS THE TIE-IN FACILITY FOR LSN. THE FSS SPECIALIST AT RIU DID NOT KNOW OF ANY NOTAM PUBLISHED FOR THE FUEL PROB AT LSN. WAS THERE A NOTAM ISSUED OR WASN'T THERE? THERE APPEARS TO BE A MISSING LINK IN THE LINE OF COM IN THIS INCIDENT.

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.