Narrative:

On downwind for landing at tracy airport, heard an transmission on unicom frequency. A person identing himself as lost, and a student pilot. I called and offered assistance (being a CFI), but lost contact when descending to land. On final decided to go around, leave the pattern and gain some altitude. Re-established contact at some 3000'. Student reported his position as near livermore. I inquired as to his fuel situation. Was told it was 'good.' I then queried the student as to landmarks, called his attention to some obvious ones (a mountain and a freeway) and he finally reported livermore airport in sight. He asked for livermore tower frequency, saying he wanted to 'land and sort things out on the ground.' I gave him the frequency and proceeded to my destination. Throughout the radio assist, there was heavy (almost unbearable) interference on 122.8. Several times I announced, 'we have an emergency on frequency, all aircraft please stand by,' only to have the request ignored by many pilots reporting their position in the pattern at several different airports. I get the feeling people only talk on unicom, don't listen. Reinforcing this, student pilot had apparently made several calls for help. Nobody else responded. Why didn't student have lvk tower frequency? Lvk is on the sfo TCA chart, but my guess is he was using a sectional. Probably never intended to go near TCA, so figured he didn't need anything else. Lost and, surprise, no airport data on the sectional. For an airport well outside of the TCA (through on corner of TCA chart). Conclusion: removing airport data blocks from sectional was unsafe. Lack of information more crucial than clutter. Unless everyone carries TCA charts (and they don't), airport information must be returned to sectionals!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI LOST BROADCAST IN THE BLIND AND GETS ASSISTANCE FROM INSTRUCTOR ON APCH O36.

Narrative: ON DOWNWIND FOR LNDG AT TRACY ARPT, HEARD AN XMISSION ON UNICOM FREQ. A PERSON IDENTING HIMSELF AS LOST, AND A STUDENT PLT. I CALLED AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE (BEING A CFI), BUT LOST CONTACT WHEN DSNDING TO LAND. ON FINAL DECIDED TO GO AROUND, LEAVE THE PATTERN AND GAIN SOME ALT. RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT AT SOME 3000'. STUDENT RPTED HIS POS AS NEAR LIVERMORE. I INQUIRED AS TO HIS FUEL SITUATION. WAS TOLD IT WAS 'GOOD.' I THEN QUERIED THE STUDENT AS TO LANDMARKS, CALLED HIS ATTN TO SOME OBVIOUS ONES (A MOUNTAIN AND A FREEWAY) AND HE FINALLY RPTED LIVERMORE ARPT IN SIGHT. HE ASKED FOR LIVERMORE TWR FREQ, SAYING HE WANTED TO 'LAND AND SORT THINGS OUT ON THE GND.' I GAVE HIM THE FREQ AND PROCEEDED TO MY DEST. THROUGHOUT THE RADIO ASSIST, THERE WAS HEAVY (ALMOST UNBEARABLE) INTERFERENCE ON 122.8. SEVERAL TIMES I ANNOUNCED, 'WE HAVE AN EMER ON FREQ, ALL ACFT PLEASE STAND BY,' ONLY TO HAVE THE REQUEST IGNORED BY MANY PLTS RPTING THEIR POS IN THE PATTERN AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT ARPTS. I GET THE FEELING PEOPLE ONLY TALK ON UNICOM, DON'T LISTEN. REINFORCING THIS, STUDENT PLT HAD APPARENTLY MADE SEVERAL CALLS FOR HELP. NOBODY ELSE RESPONDED. WHY DIDN'T STUDENT HAVE LVK TWR FREQ? LVK IS ON THE SFO TCA CHART, BUT MY GUESS IS HE WAS USING A SECTIONAL. PROBABLY NEVER INTENDED TO GO NEAR TCA, SO FIGURED HE DIDN'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE. LOST AND, SURPRISE, NO ARPT DATA ON THE SECTIONAL. FOR AN ARPT WELL OUTSIDE OF THE TCA (THROUGH ON CORNER OF TCA CHART). CONCLUSION: REMOVING ARPT DATA BLOCKS FROM SECTIONAL WAS UNSAFE. LACK OF INFO MORE CRUCIAL THAN CLUTTER. UNLESS EVERYONE CARRIES TCA CHARTS (AND THEY DON'T), ARPT INFO MUST BE RETURNED TO SECTIONALS!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.