Narrative:

Our filed route to (mggt) gua is tap UR644 patik la aurora int'l (aur). This is from the coast inbound to the airport. Suggestion: change this to imsum.J1.tap. Direct kalpa.ua 552.aur. Reason: the current filed route takes us within 10 NM of fuego, the volcano that is sometimes active at an altitude of 13000 ft. Approach control usually has you down at 9000 ft from patik inbound, so you have the potential to be flying by a volcano that could erupt without notice. If it does, you are 4000 ft below a possible discharge that has a potential to come close to your flight path. By changing the routing to cross kalpa at 18000 ft, you have more than enough room to descend to cross aur at 9000 ft. This would allow us a separation of 18 NM from fuego at a higher altitude and a greater dist. Central america control will usually allow us to cut the corner prior to ipsum and go direct to kalpa to cross kalpa at 18000 ft, then direct aur. Another possible suggestion to increase safety in case of a possible ash encounter is to start the APU out of 18000 ft and have it running since we always start the APU on the ground taxiing in to the gate in gua. The additional safety this would afford pilots making the approach into gua may far outweigh the cost of the additional mins on the APU.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF B752 FOR LARGE ACR IS CONCERNED THAT STANDARD ROUTING INTO GUATEMALA CITY FROM THE NW TAKES FLT OVER FUEGO VOLCANO. PLT FEELS THIS PRESENTS A DANGER OF VOLCANIC ASH ENCOUNTERS WHEN FUEGO IS ACTIVE.

Narrative: OUR FILED RTE TO (MGGT) GUA IS TAP UR644 PATIK LA AURORA INT'L (AUR). THIS IS FROM THE COAST INBND TO THE ARPT. SUGGESTION: CHANGE THIS TO IMSUM.J1.TAP. DIRECT KALPA.UA 552.AUR. REASON: THE CURRENT FILED RTE TAKES US WITHIN 10 NM OF FUEGO, THE VOLCANO THAT IS SOMETIMES ACTIVE AT AN ALT OF 13000 FT. APCH CTL USUALLY HAS YOU DOWN AT 9000 FT FROM PATIK INBND, SO YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE FLYING BY A VOLCANO THAT COULD ERUPT WITHOUT NOTICE. IF IT DOES, YOU ARE 4000 FT BELOW A POSSIBLE DISCHARGE THAT HAS A POTENTIAL TO COME CLOSE TO YOUR FLT PATH. BY CHANGING THE ROUTING TO CROSS KALPA AT 18000 FT, YOU HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM TO DESCEND TO CROSS AUR AT 9000 FT. THIS WOULD ALLOW US A SEPARATION OF 18 NM FROM FUEGO AT A HIGHER ALT AND A GREATER DIST. CENTRAL AMERICA CTL WILL USUALLY ALLOW US TO CUT THE CORNER PRIOR TO IPSUM AND GO DIRECT TO KALPA TO CROSS KALPA AT 18000 FT, THEN DIRECT AUR. ANOTHER POSSIBLE SUGGESTION TO INCREASE SAFETY IN CASE OF A POSSIBLE ASH ENCOUNTER IS TO START THE APU OUT OF 18000 FT AND HAVE IT RUNNING SINCE WE ALWAYS START THE APU ON THE GND TAXIING IN TO THE GATE IN GUA. THE ADDITIONAL SAFETY THIS WOULD AFFORD PLTS MAKING THE APCH INTO GUA MAY FAR OUTWEIGH THE COST OF THE ADDITIONAL MINS ON THE APU.

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.