An A320 captain reported company policy prohibits flying VOR approaches if they are not line selecta...

Narrative:

We were not in a GPS aircraft and the release stated that RNAV approaches are not authorized. Half an hour before our arrival; sfo began landing runway 10L using the VOR or GPS B approach. Dispatch duty manager recommended VOR B. There are also several RNAV (GPS) approaches to 10L and right. So we set up for the VOR approach. With all of the delay vectoring; we had to declare minimum fuel. The A320 fleet has 3 types of non-precision approach profiles; managed/managed; managed/selected; and selected/selected. Pilots have to determine which profile the desired approach falls into. VOR; NDB; localizer; lda; localizer back course; ASR; GPS; and RNAV (GPS). Some of these; like our VOR approach; are in more than one of the profiles. Decisions; decisions. All of this is in addition to computing the flight path angle (fpa) for our continuous descent approach. We could not install the approach; so managed/managed (approach navigation; automatic everything) was out. So we opted to build the approach with the waypoints (just like the manual says) and use managed/selected which is navigation mode and fpa. While briefing that; I noticed something strange; under managed/selected; VOR approaches must be line selectable and this one isn't. Ok; selected/selected it shall be. We'll just use heading mode or hand fly the VOR approach. But then reading under selected/selected; it only addresses localizer back course or ASR approaches; nothing about VOR approaches. And now we're only about 20 miles out and on minimum fuel. All we want to do is fly an instrument approach to 10L or right. It took quite some time to get through the above approach selection matrix and come to the realization that (as far as we can tell) if you're in a non GPS A319 with fully functioning VOR radios; you cannot fly any instrument approach to 10L or right at sfo including the VOR. Absolutely ridiculous. I hope we're wrong about this. This is a human factors debacle. The flight manual needs to be cleaned up. We got the airport in sight for a visual approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An A320 Captain reported Company policy prohibits flying VOR approaches if they are not line selectable in the FMGC database. GPS was not installed in his aircraft so he flew a Visual Approach to SFO Runway 10 because no VOR approach was in the FMGC.

Narrative: We were not in a GPS aircraft and the release stated that RNAV approaches are not authorized. Half an hour before our arrival; SFO began landing Runway 10L using the VOR or GPS B approach. Dispatch duty manager recommended VOR B. There are also several RNAV (GPS) approaches to 10L and R. So we set up for the VOR approach. With all of the delay vectoring; we had to declare minimum fuel. The A320 fleet has 3 types of non-precision approach profiles; managed/managed; managed/selected; and selected/selected. Pilots have to determine which profile the desired approach falls into. VOR; NDB; LOC; LDA; LOC BC; ASR; GPS; and RNAV (GPS). Some of these; like our VOR approach; are in more than one of the profiles. Decisions; decisions. All of this is in addition to computing the Flight Path Angle (FPA) for our Continuous Descent Approach. We could not install the approach; so managed/managed (Approach NAV; automatic everything) was out. So we opted to build the approach with the waypoints (just like the manual says) and use managed/selected which is NAV mode and FPA. While briefing that; I noticed something strange; under managed/selected; VOR approaches must be line selectable and this one isn't. OK; selected/selected it shall be. We'll just use heading mode or hand fly the VOR approach. But then reading under selected/selected; it only addresses LOC BC or ASR approaches; nothing about VOR approaches. And now we're only about 20 miles out and on minimum fuel. All we want to do is fly an instrument approach to 10L or R. It took quite some time to get through the above approach selection matrix AND come to the realization that (as far as we can tell) IF YOU'RE IN A NON GPS A319 WITH FULLY FUNCTIONING VOR RADIOS; YOU CANNOT FLY ANY INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO 10L OR R AT SFO INCLUDING THE VOR. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. I hope we're wrong about this. This is a human factors debacle. The flight manual needs to be cleaned up. We got the airport in sight for a visual approach.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	864074
Time
Date	200912
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	SFO.Airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Captain
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100 Flight Crew Total 12000 Flight Crew Type 700
Person 2
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Total 8500 Flight Crew Type 4681
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

An A320 captain reported company policy prohibits flying VOR approaches if they are not line selectable in the FMGC database. GPS was not installed in his aircraft so he flew a visual approach to sfo runway 10 because no VOR approach was in the FMGC.