A flight crew noticed enroute to destination that they had overlooked a NOTAM that advised one of th...

Attributes
ACN	813597
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6600
ASRS Report	813579
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Shortly after leveloff; the captain was looking through the flight paperwork and noticed a NOTAM for our destination alternate we had overlooked that said 'ad clsd.' looking through the onboard pubs; we were unable to find a translation of that abbreviation; so he initiated a phone patch with dispatch. It was determined that we had suspected was true; the aerodrome was closed. We were given amendments to the release with a new alternate and fuel numbers. The flight continued to destination without incident. Contributing factors to our having missed this NOTAM were: preflight having to make several calls to dispatch; to correct mistakes and omissions on the flight plans and paperwork. We were given 3 different flight plans that include one to fuel stop in ZZZ -- all of which had problems or mistakes. So the cockpit workload prior to departure was very high. Also; ATC continuing to use antiquated abbreviations designed for use with teletype machines; makes an important NOTAM like this very easy to overlook.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLIGHT CREW NOTICED ENROUTE TO DESTINATION THAT THEY HAD OVERLOOKED A NOTAM THAT ADVISED ONE OF THEIR ALTERNATES WAS CLOSED. THE CREW CITED ANTIQUATED NOTAM ABBREVIATIONS AS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LEVELOFF; THE CAPT WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE FLT PAPERWORK AND NOTICED A NOTAM FOR OUR DEST ALTERNATE WE HAD OVERLOOKED THAT SAID 'AD CLSD.' LOOKING THROUGH THE ONBOARD PUBS; WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND A TRANSLATION OF THAT ABBREVIATION; SO HE INITIATED A PHONE PATCH WITH DISPATCH. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE HAD SUSPECTED WAS TRUE; THE AERODROME WAS CLOSED. WE WERE GIVEN AMENDMENTS TO THE RELEASE WITH A NEW ALTERNATE AND FUEL NUMBERS. THE FLT CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO OUR HAVING MISSED THIS NOTAM WERE: PREFLT HAVING TO MAKE SEVERAL CALLS TO DISPATCH; TO CORRECT MISTAKES AND OMISSIONS ON THE FLT PLANS AND PAPERWORK. WE WERE GIVEN 3 DIFFERENT FLT PLANS THAT INCLUDE ONE TO FUEL STOP IN ZZZ -- ALL OF WHICH HAD PROBS OR MISTAKES. SO THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD PRIOR TO DEP WAS VERY HIGH. ALSO; ATC CONTINUING TO USE ANTIQUATED ABBREVIATIONS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH TELETYPE MACHINES; MAKES AN IMPORTANT NOTAM LIKE THIS VERY EASY TO OVERLOOK.

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.

A flight crew noticed enroute to destination that they had overlooked a NOTAM that advised one of their alternates was closed. The crew cited antiquated NOTAM abbreviations as contributing to the problem.