Narrative:

Approximately 60 NM southeast of tlh, ZJX advised us (aircraft X) of extensive thunderstorm activity in tlh area, and that other aircraft were holding at szw. Center advised that holding at gef until WX improved prior to initiating an approach to tlh would be advisable. We agreed, slowed and proceeded direct to gef after being cleared and receiving holding instructions. ZJX stated they could not approve an approach to runway 27 (tlh's primary ILS runway). This approach was up and operating. They further advised that runway 18/36 was closed and that the GS on runway 36 was OTS. I questioned why we could not be cleared for an ILS to runway 27. The controller stated they could not approve approachs to runway 27 after the tlh tower closed. I requested a VOR runway 18 approach, circle to land runway 9 at tlh. Request was approved by jax and we were cleared to follow an air carrier (aircraft Y) on the same approach. At szw (initial approach fix) we acquired VFR conditions and saw the airport and air carrier aircraft, and canceled IFR. We followed air carrier to a landing on runway 9. Runway 18/36 was lit, the end identify lights on, VASI operating and an aircraft was preparing to use it for takeoff. On jun/sat/99, I called tlh tower and asked if runway 18/36 had been closed the previous evening (it had not been notamed closed on jun/fri/99). Tlh tower advised runway 18/36 had not been closed on jun/fri/99 and that ZJX was in error in so reporting. I also asked why an ILS to runway 27 could not be executed after tlh tower closed. This battle had been fought, and I thought resolved months earlier. The watch supervisor stated they had discussed this with ZJX and ZJX stated their charts reflected a note that runway 27 approachs were not authority/authorized after tlh tower closed. Tlh ATC was not successful in convincing ZJX that their charts were in error and approachs could be flown after tower closure. ZJX did not accept tlh ATC's explanation. I feel ZJX contributed to a hazardous WX situation by providing incorrect runway closure and requiring aircraft arriving at tlh to execute a non precision, circle-to-land approach when a perfectly good straight-in il approach was available to a runway with CAT ii approach lighting. Fortunately, in this case, the thunderstorm over tlh moved off to the south and a VFR condition presented itself. Also, approaching aircraft had the patience to hold and wait for improving WX. It is not the role of ATC to further complicate airport arrs during night, foul WX operations. The opposite should be the case. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter again restated his concerns about not being able to conduct an instrument approach to the primary instrument runway providing the most instrument aids. The reporter stated that his conversation with a tlh supervisor revealed that tlh was unable to clear up the note closure problem with ZJX, as the notation had not been included on the GPS and VOR approachs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLORIDA STATE GOV BE20 PLT HAS TLH ILS RWY 27 APCH DISAPPROVED DUE TO KNOWN, BUT NOT REMOVED, CHART NOTATION. PLT REQUIRED TO CONDUCT ANOTHER APCH CIRCLING TO RWY 27 IN IMC.

Narrative: APPROX 60 NM SE OF TLH, ZJX ADVISED US (ACFT X) OF EXTENSIVE TSTM ACTIVITY IN TLH AREA, AND THAT OTHER ACFT WERE HOLDING AT SZW. CTR ADVISED THAT HOLDING AT GEF UNTIL WX IMPROVED PRIOR TO INITIATING AN APCH TO TLH WOULD BE ADVISABLE. WE AGREED, SLOWED AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO GEF AFTER BEING CLRED AND RECEIVING HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. ZJX STATED THEY COULD NOT APPROVE AN APCH TO RWY 27 (TLH'S PRIMARY ILS RWY). THIS APCH WAS UP AND OPERATING. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT RWY 18/36 WAS CLOSED AND THAT THE GS ON RWY 36 WAS OTS. I QUESTIONED WHY WE COULD NOT BE CLRED FOR AN ILS TO RWY 27. THE CTLR STATED THEY COULD NOT APPROVE APCHS TO RWY 27 AFTER THE TLH TWR CLOSED. I REQUESTED A VOR RWY 18 APCH, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 9 AT TLH. REQUEST WAS APPROVED BY JAX AND WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW AN ACR (ACFT Y) ON THE SAME APCH. AT SZW (INITIAL APCH FIX) WE ACQUIRED VFR CONDITIONS AND SAW THE ARPT AND ACR ACFT, AND CANCELED IFR. WE FOLLOWED ACR TO A LNDG ON RWY 9. RWY 18/36 WAS LIT, THE END IDENT LIGHTS ON, VASI OPERATING AND AN ACFT WAS PREPARING TO USE IT FOR TKOF. ON JUN/SAT/99, I CALLED TLH TWR AND ASKED IF RWY 18/36 HAD BEEN CLOSED THE PREVIOUS EVENING (IT HAD NOT BEEN NOTAMED CLOSED ON JUN/FRI/99). TLH TWR ADVISED RWY 18/36 HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED ON JUN/FRI/99 AND THAT ZJX WAS IN ERROR IN SO RPTING. I ALSO ASKED WHY AN ILS TO RWY 27 COULD NOT BE EXECUTED AFTER TLH TWR CLOSED. THIS BATTLE HAD BEEN FOUGHT, AND I THOUGHT RESOLVED MONTHS EARLIER. THE WATCH SUPVR STATED THEY HAD DISCUSSED THIS WITH ZJX AND ZJX STATED THEIR CHARTS REFLECTED A NOTE THAT RWY 27 APCHS WERE NOT AUTH AFTER TLH TWR CLOSED. TLH ATC WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN CONVINCING ZJX THAT THEIR CHARTS WERE IN ERROR AND APCHS COULD BE FLOWN AFTER TWR CLOSURE. ZJX DID NOT ACCEPT TLH ATC'S EXPLANATION. I FEEL ZJX CONTRIBUTED TO A HAZARDOUS WX SIT BY PROVIDING INCORRECT RWY CLOSURE AND REQUIRING ACFT ARRIVING AT TLH TO EXECUTE A NON PRECISION, CIRCLE-TO-LAND APCH WHEN A PERFECTLY GOOD STRAIGHT-IN IL APCH WAS AVAILABLE TO A RWY WITH CAT II APCH LIGHTING. FORTUNATELY, IN THIS CASE, THE TSTM OVER TLH MOVED OFF TO THE S AND A VFR CONDITION PRESENTED ITSELF. ALSO, APCHING ACFT HAD THE PATIENCE TO HOLD AND WAIT FOR IMPROVING WX. IT IS NOT THE ROLE OF ATC TO FURTHER COMPLICATE ARPT ARRS DURING NIGHT, FOUL WX OPS. THE OPPOSITE SHOULD BE THE CASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR AGAIN RESTATED HIS CONCERNS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO CONDUCT AN INST APCH TO THE PRIMARY INST RWY PROVIDING THE MOST INST AIDS. THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS CONVERSATION WITH A TLH SUPVR REVEALED THAT TLH WAS UNABLE TO CLR UP THE NOTE CLOSURE PROB WITH ZJX, AS THE NOTATION HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED ON THE GPS AND VOR APCHS.

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.