Narrative:

I was scheduled to carry passenger to msp. I spent several hours that evening before planning the flight and determined that a fuel stop would be necessary due to the takeoff weight restrs. After careful considerations, I elected to stop at dec. On the morning of the flight, I learned that decatur was foggy and so I was rushed to find another viable fuel stop. I chose sgf and called FSS to file my flight plans and retrieve NOTAMS for the flight. After filing, I asked for NOTAMS. The briefer went into a long, drawn out WX briefing. By the time he finally got around to NOTAMS, it was getting close to my departure time. He mentioned that there was a NOTAM out for msp about precision radar monitoring approachs, but did not know what a 'prm' was and did not read the NOTAM to me. He said 'I don't know what a prm is, it has something to do with visuals.' I should have asked him to read the entire NOTAM, but I did not think I was able to do a prm anyway so I rushed him off the phone so I could depart on time. He mentioned before I got off the phone that he would find out what they were, but I knew from looking at the approach plates that I had not seen the videos and therefore could not shoot a precision radar monitoring ILS at msp. I would find out later that I needed to notify ARTCC of this 200 mi from my destination. ZMP switched us to msp approach and we finally received ATIS. This again brought up the subject of precision radar monitoring. My copilot and I had misunderstood the approach plates as to when we were supposed to notify ATC. We both wrongfully interpreted the chart to mean notify approach control upon initial contact. So we did. Msp approach was already calling for us when we switched over to their frequency. Approach quickly gave us vectors for the prm runway 12R. We declined the approach due to lack of training. He asked us if we had informed center of this before we switched. We said 'no, we thought we were supposed to tell you.' approach gave us vectors for a normal ILS runway 12R. We landed safely and upon switching to ground were given a phone number to call approach control. I learned a great deal from this flight. All pilots should read aim from cover-to-cover regularly. Get all NOTAMS for a flight, even if you are in a hurry and think they don't apply to you anyway. Read approach plate information sheets more carefully and become thoroughly familiar with all approachs into your destination fields.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRECISION RADAR MONITORING APCHS IN PROGRESS AT MSP, MN, AND ARRIVING CREW NOTIFIES ATC AT FIRST CONTACT WITH APCH CTL INSTEAD OF THE REQUIRED 200 MI FROM DEST.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO CARRY PAX TO MSP. I SPENT SEVERAL HRS THAT EVENING BEFORE PLANNING THE FLT AND DETERMINED THAT A FUEL STOP WOULD BE NECESSARY DUE TO THE TKOF WT RESTRS. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATIONS, I ELECTED TO STOP AT DEC. ON THE MORNING OF THE FLT, I LEARNED THAT DECATUR WAS FOGGY AND SO I WAS RUSHED TO FIND ANOTHER VIABLE FUEL STOP. I CHOSE SGF AND CALLED FSS TO FILE MY FLT PLANS AND RETRIEVE NOTAMS FOR THE FLT. AFTER FILING, I ASKED FOR NOTAMS. THE BRIEFER WENT INTO A LONG, DRAWN OUT WX BRIEFING. BY THE TIME HE FINALLY GOT AROUND TO NOTAMS, IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO MY DEP TIME. HE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM OUT FOR MSP ABOUT PRECISION RADAR MONITORING APCHS, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT A 'PRM' WAS AND DID NOT READ THE NOTAM TO ME. HE SAID 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT A PRM IS, IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH VISUALS.' I SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIM TO READ THE ENTIRE NOTAM, BUT I DID NOT THINK I WAS ABLE TO DO A PRM ANYWAY SO I RUSHED HIM OFF THE PHONE SO I COULD DEPART ON TIME. HE MENTIONED BEFORE I GOT OFF THE PHONE THAT HE WOULD FIND OUT WHAT THEY WERE, BUT I KNEW FROM LOOKING AT THE APCH PLATES THAT I HAD NOT SEEN THE VIDEOS AND THEREFORE COULD NOT SHOOT A PRECISION RADAR MONITORING ILS AT MSP. I WOULD FIND OUT LATER THAT I NEEDED TO NOTIFY ARTCC OF THIS 200 MI FROM MY DEST. ZMP SWITCHED US TO MSP APCH AND WE FINALLY RECEIVED ATIS. THIS AGAIN BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF PRECISION RADAR MONITORING. MY COPLT AND I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD THE APCH PLATES AS TO WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO NOTIFY ATC. WE BOTH WRONGFULLY INTERPED THE CHART TO MEAN NOTIFY APCH CTL UPON INITIAL CONTACT. SO WE DID. MSP APCH WAS ALREADY CALLING FOR US WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER TO THEIR FREQ. APCH QUICKLY GAVE US VECTORS FOR THE PRM RWY 12R. WE DECLINED THE APCH DUE TO LACK OF TRAINING. HE ASKED US IF WE HAD INFORMED CTR OF THIS BEFORE WE SWITCHED. WE SAID 'NO, WE THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU.' APCH GAVE US VECTORS FOR A NORMAL ILS RWY 12R. WE LANDED SAFELY AND UPON SWITCHING TO GND WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL APCH CTL. I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS FLT. ALL PLTS SHOULD READ AIM FROM COVER-TO-COVER REGULARLY. GET ALL NOTAMS FOR A FLT, EVEN IF YOU ARE IN A HURRY AND THINK THEY DON'T APPLY TO YOU ANYWAY. READ APCH PLATE INFO SHEETS MORE CAREFULLY AND BECOME THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH ALL APCHS INTO YOUR DEST FIELDS.

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.