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4 Answers

Straight-in/circling approach NA

Asked by: 5157 views
General Aviation, Instrument Rating, Private Pilot

There are 3 approaches available at KMCD : GPS 08, GPS 26, and VOR/DME-A.  Both GPS approaches have notes on them that say "straight-in/circling NA at night,"  which while unclear seems to suggest that the approaches are wholly unavailable at night.  However, the VOR-A approach, which is de facto a circling approach, says only NA at night if VGSI is inop.  How can this be?   Assuming the VGSI is operative, what would make a circling approach from a VOR/DME-A approach any safer at night than a straight-in or circling from a GPS approach?  All 3 have identical circling minimums, and no restrictions on where one can circle relative to the airport.  Am I misreading the notes on the GPS approaches?

4 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on May 18, 2014

    Could simply be when the chart was created or substantively amended. From other sources I trust, apparently there was a crash involving hitting an obstacle while on approach at night and the FAA began reviewing approaches where obstacles were very near the approach.

    You’re right — circling off the VOR approach is at least as dangerous as flying straight in on the RNAV ones.

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  2. John D Collins on May 18, 2014

    The FAA TERPS do not permit night straight in approaches or circling if there are obstacles in the visual segment on a 20 to 1 slope. Within the last year or so, the FAA has gotten more serious about enforcing the night prohibition when there are unlit obstacle penetrations. A VGSI can be used to mitigate the hazard, but it has to be flight tested and approved. The FAA is now very strict and requires headquarters (AFS400) approval for using a VGSI for mitigation. This has been done because there were so many installations that had not been properly surveyed and or installed.

    What you point out is a clear inconsistency and if brought to the attention of AeroNav they would undoubtedly issue a NOTAM.

    The 20 to 1 obstacle visual surface is different for circling than for straight in so one can end up with cases where circling is permitted at night, but straight in is not. That doesn’t seem to be the case for these approaches.

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  3. gimbojoe on May 18, 2014

    I should’ve added the obvious follow-on question: to avoid confusion, if the intent is to prohibit both straight-in and circling approaches at night, why wouldn’t the charts simply say “Procedure NA at night”?

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  4. John D Collins on May 19, 2014

    Great idea. AeroNav plans on doing just that. Just so happens that it will take years before all the approaches come up for review and get updated, eventually. Some will get missed the first time or so. In the mean time, this question will get asked over and over again as observant pilots come across this note. It reminds me of the sign outside of a club, “Members and non Members only”.

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