Narrative:

During the planning phase of a planned flight to fty; NOTAMS showed that runway 26 would be closed for landing about 10 mins after our scheduled time of arrival. The passenger arrived 20 mins late which made the arrival time a factor for the runway 26 landing. In flight; the first officer called fty tower via the airplane phone to inquire about the status of the crane for which the NOTAM was issued. He was told by the tower that they were not sure the crane would be raised due to the forecasted strong wind conditions. The tower controller said they would know more in about 30 minutes. At that time we were showing an ete of 1+30. The second phone call was to flight operations duty manager to ask permission to land on runway 32 which shows a length of 3959 ft available; 41 ft short of the company minimum of 4000 ft. The fodm gave approval as long as we were comfortable with it and we agreed we were. The third call was back to fty tower and they informed us the tower would be up and thus runway 26 would not be available for landing. Just prior to final descent and with the current conditions reported as '290 10KTS 10SM OVC007;' the first officer briefed the GPS runway 26 circle to land runway 32. When we checked in with atl approach; we were told to expect the RNAV/GPS runway 26. The captain; PNF; asked the first officer to take the number 1 radio while he switched over to fty ground control to inquire about the crane status (hoping the crane would be down). While the captain was doing that; we were cleared for the GPS runway 26 approach (straight-in). The first officer told approach we were checking with fty about status of crane and if it was raised; we would need the GPS runway 26 circle to land runway 32. He said his information showed the crane to be down; but he would check. The captain informed fty tower of approach's information of the crane and he stated he had a visual on the crane and it was erected. A few seconds later approach came back and cancelled our approach clearance and said circle to runway 32 was not available which perplexed us both due to the lack of NOTAMS restricting it or any other instrument approach. Atl approach then stated we would have to do the ILS runway 08 and that the current winds were 270 at 15 KTS. We informed him that we would need to circle to runway 32 as the 15 KT tail wind was not in the limits for our aircraft. We promptly set up and briefed the ILS runway 08 circle to land runway 32. He said he would see if that was available and get back to us. He then came back and said the missed approach procedure for the ILS runway 08 conflicted with the crane and that fty airport was now closed (again; no NOTAMS stating any changes to any instrument approach). With the confusion of fty tower and atl approach; the current gusting westerly winds; and fuel at 1400 pounds; we immediately requested vectors to pdk. Pdk charts were pulled (atl was the filed alternate); checked for updates; approach enquired about any NOTAMS pertinent to pdk; ATIS checked; passenger informed of change; and the approach briefed. After being cleared to intercept the localizer runway 20L at pdk; approach informed us that we could now do the ILS runway 08 at fty straight-in only but the winds were still 270 at 15 KTS. We declined and proceeded to an uneventful landing at pdk. After the passenger were on their way; the captain called fty tower manager. He said to call back in 30 mins after he briefed his controllers on the situation. On the second call; he said it was okay to come back to fty and that five aircraft had already flown the GPS runway 26 and circled to runway 32. Soon afterward we flew to fty; flew the GPS runway 26 approach; and landed on runway 26. The crane apparently was brought down early.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR45 FLT CREW RPTS NOTAM'D CRANE OBSTRUCTION AT FTY THAT PREVENTS THEM FROM USING THE ARPT DUE TO WINDS AND WX.

Narrative: DURING THE PLANNING PHASE OF A PLANNED FLT TO FTY; NOTAMS SHOWED THAT RWY 26 WOULD BE CLOSED FOR LNDG ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER OUR SCHEDULED TIME OF ARR. THE PAX ARRIVED 20 MINS LATE WHICH MADE THE ARR TIME A FACTOR FOR THE RWY 26 LNDG. IN FLT; THE FO CALLED FTY TOWER VIA THE AIRPLANE PHONE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE CRANE FOR WHICH THE NOTAM WAS ISSUED. HE WAS TOLD BY THE TOWER THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE THE CRANE WOULD BE RAISED DUE TO THE FORECASTED STRONG WIND CONDITIONS. THE TOWER CTLR SAID THEY WOULD KNOW MORE IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES. AT THAT TIME WE WERE SHOWING AN ETE OF 1+30. THE SECOND PHONE CALL WAS TO FLT OPS DUTY MANAGER TO ASK PERMISSION TO LAND ON RWY 32 WHICH SHOWS A LENGTH OF 3959 FT AVAILABLE; 41 FT SHORT OF THE COMPANY MINIMUM OF 4000 FT. THE FODM GAVE APPROVAL AS LONG AS WE WERE COMFORTABLE WITH IT AND WE AGREED WE WERE. THE THIRD CALL WAS BACK TO FTY TOWER AND THEY INFORMED US THE TOWER WOULD BE UP AND THUS RWY 26 WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR LNDG. JUST PRIOR TO FINAL DSCNT AND WITH THE CURRENT CONDITIONS REPORTED AS '290 10KTS 10SM OVC007;' THE FO BRIEFED THE GPS RWY 26 CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 32. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH ATL APCH; WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT THE RNAV/GPS RWY 26. THE CAPT; PNF; ASKED THE FO TO TAKE THE NUMBER 1 RADIO WHILE HE SWITCHED OVER TO FTY GND CTL TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE CRANE STATUS (HOPING THE CRANE WOULD BE DOWN). WHILE THE CAPT WAS DOING THAT; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE GPS RWY 26 APCH (STRAIGHT-IN). THE FO TOLD APCH WE WERE CHKING WITH FTY ABOUT STATUS OF CRANE AND IF IT WAS RAISED; WE WOULD NEED THE GPS RWY 26 CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 32. HE SAID HIS INFORMATION SHOWED THE CRANE TO BE DOWN; BUT HE WOULD CHK. THE CAPT INFORMED FTY TOWER OF APCH'S INFORMATION OF THE CRANE AND HE STATED HE HAD A VISUAL ON THE CRANE AND IT WAS ERECTED. A FEW SECONDS LATER APCH CAME BACK AND CANCELLED OUR APCH CLRNC AND SAID CIRCLE TO RWY 32 WAS NOT AVAILABLE WHICH PERPLEXED US BOTH DUE TO THE LACK OF NOTAMS RESTRICTING IT OR ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT APCH. ATL APCH THEN STATED WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THE ILS RWY 08 AND THAT THE CURRENT WINDS WERE 270 AT 15 KTS. WE INFORMED HIM THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CIRCLE TO RWY 32 AS THE 15 KT TAIL WIND WAS NOT IN THE LIMITS FOR OUR ACFT. WE PROMPTLY SET UP AND BRIEFED THE ILS RWY 08 CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 32. HE SAID HE WOULD SEE IF THAT WAS AVAILABLE AND GET BACK TO US. HE THEN CAME BACK AND SAID THE MISSED APCH PROC FOR THE ILS RWY 08 CONFLICTED WITH THE CRANE AND THAT FTY ARPT WAS NOW CLOSED (AGAIN; NO NOTAMS STATING ANY CHANGES TO ANY INSTRUMENT APCH). WITH THE CONFUSION OF FTY TOWER AND ATL APCH; THE CURRENT GUSTING WESTERLY WINDS; AND FUEL AT 1400 LBS; WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED VECTORS TO PDK. PDK CHARTS WERE PULLED (ATL WAS THE FILED ALTERNATE); CHKED FOR UPDATES; APCH ENQUIRED ABOUT ANY NOTAMS PERTINENT TO PDK; ATIS CHKED; PAX INFORMED OF CHANGE; AND THE APCH BRIEFED. AFTER BEING CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER RWY 20L AT PDK; APCH INFORMED US THAT WE COULD NOW DO THE ILS RWY 08 AT FTY STRAIGHT-IN ONLY BUT THE WINDS WERE STILL 270 AT 15 KTS. WE DECLINED AND PROCEEDED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT PDK. AFTER THE PAX WERE ON THEIR WAY; THE CAPT CALLED FTY TOWER MANAGER. HE SAID TO CALL BACK IN 30 MINS AFTER HE BRIEFED HIS CTLRS ON THE SITUATION. ON THE SECOND CALL; HE SAID IT WAS OKAY TO COME BACK TO FTY AND THAT FIVE ACFT HAD ALREADY FLOWN THE GPS RWY 26 AND CIRCLED TO RWY 32. SOON AFTERWARD WE FLEW TO FTY; FLEW THE GPS RWY 26 APCH; AND LANDED ON RWY 26. THE CRANE APPARENTLY WAS BROUGHT DOWN EARLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.