Narrative:

As has happened on numerous occasions; atlanta center; at the request of atlanta approach; assigned the mikee 4 STAR to the cartersville; GA; airport (vpc). This procedure does not exist; as vpc is not shown on the arrival. Atlanta approach controllers with whom I have discussed this issue have indicated that their computerized arrival profiles include this noncompliant procedure and mandate its assignment. Certain FMS and GPS systems do not allow modification of stars to include destinations not shown in the procedures; forcing crews to invent solutions during a critical phase of flight. The use of standardized arrival corridors like the mikee arrival is important in managing the high volume of traffic to satellite airports in the vicinity of atlanta hartsfield/jackson airport (atl). The easiest solution to this problem would be adding vpc to this arrival procedure; as controllers have suggested in their own reporting channels.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has been trying for some time to have vpc added to the mikee four arrival but no one has listened to him. Currently pilots are vectored to the airport to report it in sight. During IMC; pilots program the FMS to an FMS available airport and from that airport to a vpc approach. The ATC controllers understand this dilemma but are unable to effect a chart change themselves. The reporter believes that the simplest change allowing crews to program apches directly to vpc after mikee is to list vpc as a possible destination on this arrival; thereby allowing charting procedures companies an avenue in the FMS programming to proceed from mikee to a vpc IAF. Bunni intersection to atl is nearly directly over the evz FAF to vpc runway 19 but normal profiling on the atl arrival crosses bunni at 8;000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT REPORTS ATC ASSIGNS THE MIKEE FOUR ARR TO VPC WHEN VPC IS NOT AN APPLICABLE ARPT. PLTS ARE UNABLE TO PROGRAM APCHS FROM THE MIKEE STAR TO VPC.

Narrative: AS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS; ATLANTA CENTER; AT THE REQUEST OF ATLANTA APCH; ASSIGNED THE MIKEE 4 STAR TO THE CARTERSVILLE; GA; ARPT (VPC). THIS PROC DOES NOT EXIST; AS VPC IS NOT SHOWN ON THE ARR. ATLANTA APCH CTLRS WITH WHOM I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE HAVE INDICATED THAT THEIR COMPUTERIZED ARR PROFILES INCLUDE THIS NONCOMPLIANT PROC AND MANDATE ITS ASSIGNMENT. CERTAIN FMS AND GPS SYSTEMS DO NOT ALLOW MODIFICATION OF STARS TO INCLUDE DESTS NOT SHOWN IN THE PROCS; FORCING CREWS TO INVENT SOLUTIONS DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. THE USE OF STANDARDIZED ARR CORRIDORS LIKE THE MIKEE ARR IS IMPORTANT IN MANAGING THE HIGH VOLUME OF TFC TO SATELLITE ARPTS IN THE VICINITY OF ATLANTA HARTSFIELD/JACKSON ARPT (ATL). THE EASIEST SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE ADDING VPC TO THIS ARR PROC; AS CTLRS HAVE SUGGESTED IN THEIR OWN RPTING CHANNELS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN TRYING FOR SOME TIME TO HAVE VPC ADDED TO THE MIKEE FOUR ARR BUT NO ONE HAS LISTENED TO HIM. CURRENTLY PLTS ARE VECTORED TO THE ARPT TO RPT IT IN SIGHT. DURING IMC; PLTS PROGRAM THE FMS TO AN FMS AVAILABLE ARPT AND FROM THAT ARPT TO A VPC APCH. THE ATC CTLRS UNDERSTAND THIS DILEMMA BUT ARE UNABLE TO EFFECT A CHART CHANGE THEMSELVES. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE SIMPLEST CHANGE ALLOWING CREWS TO PROGRAM APCHES DIRECTLY TO VPC AFTER MIKEE IS TO LIST VPC AS A POSSIBLE DEST ON THIS ARR; THEREBY ALLOWING CHARTING PROCS COMPANIES AN AVENUE IN THE FMS PROGRAMMING TO PROCEED FROM MIKEE TO A VPC IAF. BUNNI INTXN TO ATL IS NEARLY DIRECTLY OVER THE EVZ FAF TO VPC RWY 19 BUT NORMAL PROFILING ON THE ATL ARR CROSSES BUNNI AT 8;000 FT.

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.