Narrative:

The mgm VORTAC was scheduled for a maintenance shutdown from XA00-XB00Z. NOTAM was issued at least a day in advance. At XB15Z; I walked over to the supervisor's desk and found a piece of paper lying there. When I picked it up; I found an almost illegible facsimile that had casually been laid there. After studying it; I found that it had come from atlanta center at XA59Z. It included fdc NOTAM saying the both ILS approaches and the NDB approach at the mgm airport were north/a unless aircraft were equipped with suitable RNAV equipment system with GPS. The restriction was apparently due to the mgm VORTAC being needed for the missed approach procedure. While the equipment NOTAM was issued a day before; the fdc NOTAM did not arrive in the facility until it took effect and then went unnoticed for about 15 minutes. At that point; we already had numerous aircraft in our airspace and some in the adjacent facility's airspace coming our way to practice flying these unauthorized approaches. It became quite a distraction for us; for the adjacent facility and for the pilots to sort this out. The fdc NOTAM should have been issued well in advance so that the approach controllers and the pilots would have been aware of the restrictions. Also; the FAA apparently has no system to disseminate fdc NOTAMS between operational personnel. 'Regular' NOTAMS are verbally relayed from a FSS specialist via recorded landline to the TRACON. Fdc NOTAMS somehow are culled at ZTL which faxes them to the only facsimile machine in the air traffic area; which is in a securable area in the administrative offices. In this case; a non-operational person found it and delivered it to the sup/controller in charge desk but didn't think it was important enough to hand-deliver. A national system needs to be put in place that causes fdc NOTAMS to be issued in a timely manner and delivered between operational personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MGM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING BOTH THE FACILITY'S AND AGENCY'S METHOD OF FDC NOTAM DISTRIBUTION.

Narrative: THE MGM VORTAC WAS SCHEDULED FOR A MAINTENANCE SHUTDOWN FROM XA00-XB00Z. NOTAM WAS ISSUED AT LEAST A DAY IN ADVANCE. AT XB15Z; I WALKED OVER TO THE SUPERVISOR'S DESK AND FOUND A PIECE OF PAPER LYING THERE. WHEN I PICKED IT UP; I FOUND AN ALMOST ILLEGIBLE FAX THAT HAD CASUALLY BEEN LAID THERE. AFTER STUDYING IT; I FOUND THAT IT HAD COME FROM ATLANTA CENTER AT XA59Z. IT INCLUDED FDC NOTAM SAYING THE BOTH ILS APPROACHES AND THE NDB APPROACH AT THE MGM AIRPORT WERE N/A UNLESS AIRCRAFT WERE EQUIPPED WITH SUITABLE RNAV EQUIPMENT SYSTEM WITH GPS. THE RESTRICTION WAS APPARENTLY DUE TO THE MGM VORTAC BEING NEEDED FOR THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE. WHILE THE EQUIPMENT NOTAM WAS ISSUED A DAY BEFORE; THE FDC NOTAM DID NOT ARRIVE IN THE FACILITY UNTIL IT TOOK EFFECT AND THEN WENT UNNOTICED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. AT THAT POINT; WE ALREADY HAD NUMEROUS AIRCRAFT IN OUR AIRSPACE AND SOME IN THE ADJACENT FACILITY'S AIRSPACE COMING OUR WAY TO PRACTICE FLYING THESE UNAUTHORIZED APPROACHES. IT BECAME QUITE A DISTRACTION FOR US; FOR THE ADJACENT FACILITY AND FOR THE PILOTS TO SORT THIS OUT. THE FDC NOTAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED WELL IN ADVANCE SO THAT THE APPROACH CONTROLLERS AND THE PILOTS WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE RESTRICTIONS. ALSO; THE FAA APPARENTLY HAS NO SYSTEM TO DISSEMINATE FDC NOTAMS BETWEEN OPERATIONAL PERSONNEL. 'REGULAR' NOTAMS ARE VERBALLY RELAYED FROM A FSS SPECIALIST VIA RECORDED LANDLINE TO THE TRACON. FDC NOTAMS SOMEHOW ARE CULLED AT ZTL WHICH FAXES THEM TO THE ONLY FAX MACHINE IN THE AIR TRAFFIC AREA; WHICH IS IN A SECURABLE AREA IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES. IN THIS CASE; A NON-OPERATIONAL PERSON FOUND IT AND DELIVERED IT TO THE SUP/CIC DESK BUT DIDN'T THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO HAND-DELIVER. A NATIONAL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE THAT CAUSES FDC NOTAMS TO BE ISSUED IN A TIMELY MANNER AND DELIVERED BETWEEN OPERATIONAL PERSONNEL.

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.