Narrative:

I had a slightly unusual experience the other day; mostly so; because I didn't think it was possible. I was en route to hwd; an airport that I land at; at least once or twice a week. The WX was OVC010/10SM; with the marine layer mins from dissipating for the day. What was interesting about this very routine ride was that it was my first shot at the new RNAV (GPS) Z runway 28L. The old approach was the GPS runway 28L; a VNAV+V. When I first briefed the new plate; I noticed that both the FAF (sudge) and the intermediate fix immediately preceding (jocpi) had been moved about 5 mi farther out from the map than on the old approach. So; from somewhere north of lvk; I get 'direct jocpi.' I was pleased to see that this normal procedure was still in place; as I would have been bummed to find out that I'd be sent to the new IAF with a 5 NM hilpt; 20 mi out of my way. As I approached within about 2 NM of jocpi; the controller asked: 'aircraft X confirm you're direct jocpi; I show it you're 2 O'clock; 2 mi.' 'negative; I show jocpi my 12 O'clock; 2 mi.' 'aircraft X; negative; turn right heading 240!' (things tend to get a little hectic around here; as the hwd and oak finals run so close together; they weave traffic and treat them like one final.) I asked the controller; 'sir; are you aware that both jocpi and sudge have been moved significantly as of 2 days ago; with the commissioning of this new GPS zulu approach?' 'um; negative!' 'I now show jocpi my 1 O'clock; 3 mi; do you concur?' 'negative; but I'll take your word for it; maintain 3500 until established.' needless to say; I was pretty surprised that the controllers could not possibly have been briefed on these changes prior to their taking effect. Further; with all the bizjet traffic going into hwd daily; that this wasn't stumbled upon in the preceding 2 days. Yeah; kinda boring; but nothing else to report. I didn't file an ASRS; as I always think that someone else already called the fire department. Of course; now I have filed the ASRS report. The big questions are: should fixes be moved without renaming them? And; how could ATC be behind the curve on such a substantial change? That all said; the general level of professionalism and excellence of norcal approach is remarkably wonderful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he believes the controller working his flight discovered very quickly that the changes he pointed out were accurate and that other controllers were quickly notified about the changes also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA PILOT REPORTS NCT WAS NOT AWARE OF DME CHANGES AT INTXNS SUDGE AND JOCPI UNTIL HE BEGAN THE HWD RNAV (GPS) Z RWY 28L APCH.

Narrative: I HAD A SLIGHTLY UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE THE OTHER DAY; MOSTLY SO; BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE. I WAS ENRTE TO HWD; AN ARPT THAT I LAND AT; AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A WK. THE WX WAS OVC010/10SM; WITH THE MARINE LAYER MINS FROM DISSIPATING FOR THE DAY. WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS VERY ROUTINE RIDE WAS THAT IT WAS MY FIRST SHOT AT THE NEW RNAV (GPS) Z RWY 28L. THE OLD APCH WAS THE GPS RWY 28L; A VNAV+V. WHEN I FIRST BRIEFED THE NEW PLATE; I NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FAF (SUDGE) AND THE INTERMEDIATE FIX IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING (JOCPI) HAD BEEN MOVED ABOUT 5 MI FARTHER OUT FROM THE MAP THAN ON THE OLD APCH. SO; FROM SOMEWHERE N OF LVK; I GET 'DIRECT JOCPI.' I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS NORMAL PROC WAS STILL IN PLACE; AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN BUMMED TO FIND OUT THAT I'D BE SENT TO THE NEW IAF WITH A 5 NM HILPT; 20 MI OUT OF MY WAY. AS I APCHED WITHIN ABOUT 2 NM OF JOCPI; THE CTLR ASKED: 'ACFT X CONFIRM YOU'RE DIRECT JOCPI; I SHOW IT YOU'RE 2 O'CLOCK; 2 MI.' 'NEGATIVE; I SHOW JOCPI MY 12 O'CLOCK; 2 MI.' 'ACFT X; NEGATIVE; TURN R HDG 240!' (THINGS TEND TO GET A LITTLE HECTIC AROUND HERE; AS THE HWD AND OAK FINALS RUN SO CLOSE TOGETHER; THEY WEAVE TFC AND TREAT THEM LIKE ONE FINAL.) I ASKED THE CTLR; 'SIR; ARE YOU AWARE THAT BOTH JOCPI AND SUDGE HAVE BEEN MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY AS OF 2 DAYS AGO; WITH THE COMMISSIONING OF THIS NEW GPS ZULU APCH?' 'UM; NEGATIVE!' 'I NOW SHOW JOCPI MY 1 O'CLOCK; 3 MI; DO YOU CONCUR?' 'NEGATIVE; BUT I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT; MAINTAIN 3500 UNTIL ESTABLISHED.' NEEDLESS TO SAY; I WAS PRETTY SURPRISED THAT THE CTLRS COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON THESE CHANGES PRIOR TO THEIR TAKING EFFECT. FURTHER; WITH ALL THE BIZJET TFC GOING INTO HWD DAILY; THAT THIS WASN'T STUMBLED UPON IN THE PRECEDING 2 DAYS. YEAH; KINDA BORING; BUT NOTHING ELSE TO RPT. I DIDN'T FILE AN ASRS; AS I ALWAYS THINK THAT SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. OF COURSE; NOW I HAVE FILED THE ASRS RPT. THE BIG QUESTIONS ARE: SHOULD FIXES BE MOVED WITHOUT RENAMING THEM? AND; HOW COULD ATC BE BEHIND THE CURVE ON SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE? THAT ALL SAID; THE GENERAL LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE OF NORCAL APCH IS REMARKABLY WONDERFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT HE BELIEVES THE CONTROLLER WORKING HIS FLT DISCOVERED VERY QUICKLY THAT THE CHANGES HE POINTED OUT WERE ACCURATE AND THAT OTHER CONTROLLERS WERE QUICKLY NOTIFIED ABOUT THE CHANGES ALSO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.