Narrative:

I was the pilot flying one the shfty one arrival into rsw; this arrival brings you in for runway 6 on a downwind. The approach controller seemed inexperienced and overwhelmed for the amount of traffic he was controlling. The aircraft ahead of us was trying to obtain a visual approach clearance but was refused. I was confused because I did not see on TCAS or visually any other traffic on final. Upon reaching ponty (the last fix on the shfty one) the aircraft ahead of us turned the published base to heading 328 degrees. As we reached ponty we also turned to 328 degrees. While in the turn we heard more confusion and radio transmissions being overlapped and aircraft Y was told to turn back to heading 238 degrees and they were in error as the 328 turn had been 'discontinued.' we heard this and immediately turned back to 238 degrees also. The captain then asked for heading and was given 270 degrees. At no time did we have a conflict with the aircraft Y ahead or any other aircraft. We then were vectored to a normal base and approach without incident. NOTAMS should say 'amend' procedure for the shfty one for runway 6 as it does for runway 24. As written the procedure for runway 6 looks like a simple review of published procedure; the heading change of 238 from 328 is not noticed. This is a very critical change to navigation and needs to be made more aware to flight crews than buried in unclear NOTAMS. Use of this arrival should be discontinued in lieu of radar vectors until changes to charts and FMS program can be made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PILOT MISSED A NOTAM WHICH MODIFIED THE RSW SHFTY ONE ARRIVAL. THE NOTAM FAILED TO INDICATE THAT IT CONTAINED A PROCEDURAL CHANGE AND WAS BURIED AMONG MANY OTHER NOTICES.

Narrative: I WAS THE PILOT FLYING ONE THE SHFTY ONE ARRIVAL INTO RSW; THIS ARRIVAL BRINGS YOU IN FOR RUNWAY 6 ON A DOWNWIND. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER SEEMED INEXPERIENCED AND OVERWHELMED FOR THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC HE WAS CONTROLLING. THE AIRCRAFT AHEAD OF US WAS TRYING TO OBTAIN A VISUAL APPROACH CLEARANCE BUT WAS REFUSED. I WAS CONFUSED BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE ON TCAS OR VISUALLY ANY OTHER TRAFFIC ON FINAL. UPON REACHING PONTY (THE LAST FIX ON THE SHFTY ONE) THE AIRCRAFT AHEAD OF US TURNED THE PUBLISHED BASE TO HEADING 328 DEGS. AS WE REACHED PONTY WE ALSO TURNED TO 328 DEGS. WHILE IN THE TURN WE HEARD MORE CONFUSION AND RADIO TRANSMISSIONS BEING OVERLAPPED AND ACFT Y WAS TOLD TO TURN BACK TO HEADING 238 DEGS AND THEY WERE IN ERROR AS THE 328 TURN HAD BEEN 'DISCONTINUED.' WE HEARD THIS AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TO 238 DEGS ALSO. THE CAPT THEN ASKED FOR HEADING AND WAS GIVEN 270 DEGS. AT NO TIME DID WE HAVE A CONFLICT WITH THE ACFT Y AHEAD OR ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT. WE THEN WERE VECTORED TO A NORMAL BASE AND APPROACH WITHOUT INCIDENT. NOTAMS SHOULD SAY 'AMEND' PROCEDURE FOR THE SHFTY ONE FOR RWY 6 AS IT DOES FOR RWY 24. AS WRITTEN THE PROCEDURE FOR RWY 6 LOOKS LIKE A SIMPLE REVIEW OF PUBLISHED PROCEDURE; THE HEADING CHANGE OF 238 FROM 328 IS NOT NOTICED. THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL CHANGE TO NAVIGATION AND NEEDS TO BE MADE MORE AWARE TO FLIGHT CREWS THAN BURIED IN UNCLEAR NOTAMS. USE OF THIS ARRIVAL SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED IN LIEU OF RADAR VECTORS UNTIL CHANGES TO CHARTS AND FMS PROGRAM CAN BE MADE.

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.