B737 flight crew executes approach procedure without current charts.

Attributes
ACN	523929
Time
Date	200109
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : ns
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : ns
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	523929
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : overrode automation other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Weather Company Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Our airline was late distributing commercial charts revision #18. It was distributed during the day tuesday. We departed seattle at XA20 tuesday. The person responsible for the distribution was north days off. We discovered en route from phx to sea this morning that our approach plates were not current and that a large revision with many changes was in effect today for seatac. We verified with another company aircraft the FMC data was indeed correct, and that we had the old approach charts. We tried to get information from company dispatch and were told to 'check our revisions' upon returning to seattle and request vectors. We advised ZSE of our situation and requested vectors and hard altitudes to VFR at seatac. We also discussed our plan to request tracking the localizer with hard altitudes to VFR if they forgot and continued to sea because the WX was good with 2400 ft broken and visibility 10+ mi. All went well until the final controller gave us the final vector for the localizer and cleared us for the ILS. The frequency was busy, aircraft Y was asking 'where is that fix?' obviously without the new charts, and the flight attendant was ringing the call button. This all happened about 4500 ft and 14 DME. My first officer answered the flight attendant's call and we had what they thought was a heart attack in progress -- (it was). We elected to continue the approach knowing the proper numbers and fixes. Keep it simple! We broke out VFR about 3000 ft and landed safely then expedited as much as possible to the gate for medical care. Needless to say, I visited our base chief pilot and dispatch and discussed the lack of revisions and support!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC EXECUTES APCH PROC WITHOUT CURRENT CHARTS.

Narrative: OUR AIRLINE WAS LATE DISTRIBUTING COMMERCIAL CHARTS REVISION #18. IT WAS DISTRIBUTED DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. WE DEPARTED SEATTLE AT XA20 TUESDAY. THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION WAS N DAYS OFF. WE DISCOVERED ENRTE FROM PHX TO SEA THIS MORNING THAT OUR APCH PLATES WERE NOT CURRENT AND THAT A LARGE REVISION WITH MANY CHANGES WAS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR SEATAC. WE VERIFIED WITH ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT THE FMC DATA WAS INDEED CORRECT, AND THAT WE HAD THE OLD APCH CHARTS. WE TRIED TO GET INFO FROM COMPANY DISPATCH AND WERE TOLD TO 'CHK OUR REVISIONS' UPON RETURNING TO SEATTLE AND REQUEST VECTORS. WE ADVISED ZSE OF OUR SIT AND REQUESTED VECTORS AND HARD ALTS TO VFR AT SEATAC. WE ALSO DISCUSSED OUR PLAN TO REQUEST TRACKING THE LOC WITH HARD ALTS TO VFR IF THEY FORGOT AND CONTINUED TO SEA BECAUSE THE WX WAS GOOD WITH 2400 FT BROKEN AND VISIBILITY 10+ MI. ALL WENT WELL UNTIL THE FINAL CTLR GAVE US THE FINAL VECTOR FOR THE LOC AND CLRED US FOR THE ILS. THE FREQ WAS BUSY, ACFT Y WAS ASKING 'WHERE IS THAT FIX?' OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT THE NEW CHARTS, AND THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS RINGING THE CALL BUTTON. THIS ALL HAPPENED ABOUT 4500 FT AND 14 DME. MY FO ANSWERED THE FLT ATTENDANT'S CALL AND WE HAD WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A HEART ATTACK IN PROGRESS -- (IT WAS). WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH KNOWING THE PROPER NUMBERS AND FIXES. KEEP IT SIMPLE! WE BROKE OUT VFR ABOUT 3000 FT AND LANDED SAFELY THEN EXPEDITED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO THE GATE FOR MEDICAL CARE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I VISITED OUR BASE CHIEF PLT AND DISPATCH AND DISCUSSED THE LACK OF REVISIONS AND SUPPORT!

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.