Narrative:

My aircraft is home-based in trk. From early fall; through the winter; and into the late spring I utilize the VOR/DME RNAV or GPS-a instrument approach at truckee whether flying VFR or IFR on every return to truckee which always occurs after dark during those months. Once the sun sets in the sierra nevada mountains; flying into truckee is like flying into a 'black hole.' there are very few ground lights. You cannot see the ridgelines in the darkness. The only safe way home after dark is to use that approach; and that's in VFR conditions. Once the season changes and we start to see winter WX in northern ca the approach is even more important. The other IFR approach into truckee (GPS runway 19) demands flying almost 30 mi out of the way to the eastern side of the sierra nevada mountains to pick up that approach at mustang (fmg) VOR or at kewfi intersection. Not only does that add time and fuel burn to the flight; but the further to the east one flies past truckee; the more inclement the WX in the winter months. One has to deal with mountain waves; rotors; and generally lousy flying conditions over the eastern (downwind) side of the mountain range in the winter months. I believe that simple research/polling will demonstrate that the majority of IFR traffic into truckee utilizes the VOR/DME RNAV or GPS-a instrument approach at truckee rather than the GPS runway 19 approach. Consideration of decommissioning the VOR/DME RNAV or GPS-a instrument approach at truckee would not only serve as a great inconvenience to most of the IFR traffic into this mountain airport; but it would also create a substantially adverse safety consideration for the local flying public.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQUENT USER OF TRK EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED DECOMMISSIONING OF ONE OF TWO IAP.

Narrative: MY ACFT IS HOME-BASED IN TRK. FROM EARLY FALL; THROUGH THE WINTER; AND INTO THE LATE SPRING I UTILIZE THE VOR/DME RNAV OR GPS-A INST APCH AT TRUCKEE WHETHER FLYING VFR OR IFR ON EVERY RETURN TO TRUCKEE WHICH ALWAYS OCCURS AFTER DARK DURING THOSE MONTHS. ONCE THE SUN SETS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS; FLYING INTO TRUCKEE IS LIKE FLYING INTO A 'BLACK HOLE.' THERE ARE VERY FEW GND LIGHTS. YOU CANNOT SEE THE RIDGELINES IN THE DARKNESS. THE ONLY SAFE WAY HOME AFTER DARK IS TO USE THAT APCH; AND THAT'S IN VFR CONDITIONS. ONCE THE SEASON CHANGES AND WE START TO SEE WINTER WX IN NORTHERN CA THE APCH IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT. THE OTHER IFR APCH INTO TRUCKEE (GPS RWY 19) DEMANDS FLYING ALMOST 30 MI OUT OF THE WAY TO THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS TO PICK UP THAT APCH AT MUSTANG (FMG) VOR OR AT KEWFI INTXN. NOT ONLY DOES THAT ADD TIME AND FUEL BURN TO THE FLT; BUT THE FURTHER TO THE E ONE FLIES PAST TRUCKEE; THE MORE INCLEMENT THE WX IN THE WINTER MONTHS. ONE HAS TO DEAL WITH MOUNTAIN WAVES; ROTORS; AND GENERALLY LOUSY FLYING CONDITIONS OVER THE EASTERN (DOWNWIND) SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE IN THE WINTER MONTHS. I BELIEVE THAT SIMPLE RESEARCH/POLLING WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT THE MAJORITY OF IFR TFC INTO TRUCKEE UTILIZES THE VOR/DME RNAV OR GPS-A INST APCH AT TRUCKEE RATHER THAN THE GPS RWY 19 APCH. CONSIDERATION OF DECOMMISSIONING THE VOR/DME RNAV OR GPS-A INST APCH AT TRUCKEE WOULD NOT ONLY SERVE AS A GREAT INCONVENIENCE TO MOST OF THE IFR TFC INTO THIS MOUNTAIN ARPT; BUT IT WOULD ALSO CREATE A SUBSTANTIALLY ADVERSE SAFETY CONSIDERATION FOR THE LCL FLYING PUBLIC.

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.