Narrative:

I arrived at 39N at XB30 on aug/tue/89 to fly to gordonsville, va municipal airport. I called ny TRACON by phone to receive my clearance which was almost exactly as filed. I was pleased since I had spent the whole previous evening preparing my flight. I used all current information from airport facs directory en route low altitude charts, approach plates. I even overplotted my route on to sectionals in case I could cancel IFR and proceed VFR. Having obtained a WX outlook from northeast philadelphia, I slept well. I got my full WX briefing at XA30 including relevant NOTAMS and left for the airport. I took off into clearing skies, and the flight proceeded flawlessly, mostly at 8000' in VMC with the ground ever increasingly visible. I had been cleared 39N direct sbj V30 etx V39 gve and was actually vectored to V39 thus missing etx. It was going very well. About 15 mins from gve VORTAC, I had descended from 8000' to 4000' MSL. When the washington approach control asked me to copy WX, I did so after which I was asked to relay my intentions. I checked the WX report against the approach minimums for gve municipal and told the controller I wished to shoot the VOR approach. Approach: 'there is no approach for gordonsville'. A/C stunned silence. 'But I have the plate in front of me'. Approach: 'sorry, there is no approved approach for gordonsville'. A/C 'but my information is current'. Approach: 'there has been no approved approach at gordonsville for the last 3 years'. A/C 'please stand by'. I checked the WX report in front of me and what I could see below, there were enormous breaks in the 1200 scattered layer. Reported visibility was 2 1/2 mi. A/C 'washington approach I would like to cancel IFR and continue VFR'. Approach: 'roger squawk 1200'. I had no problem in descending and finding the airport, the landing was entirely successful. The visibility, however, was marginal due to rain showers which I flew around and I was glad to be on the ground. As I see it, there are a number of problems arising from this. I was lucky the WX was good enough to land. Had it not been, there was a number of other fields I could have gone to, but none that had transport waiting for me, which would have made the trip pointless. As far as I am concerned, the approach was valid. It was in the airport facility directory. Shown in blue on the nos en route charts, had a published procedure plate and there were no NOTAMS to the contrary. I feel that my flight plan should never have been accepted to that destination and am angry about that. However, since gordonsville municipal and gordonsville VORTAC both have the same identifier (gve) is it possible that the FSS misunderstood my intentions? And if so, then why do the different facs have the same identifier code? Or did my final (washington) approach controller make a mistake? Or did nos make a mistake in their pubs. I feel that this could have been a very dangerous situation given different WX conditions. Even I was not really pleased with my decision to go VFR. Had it been a commercial flight, the financial consequences may have made somebody else attempt a VFR approach with a very different outcome. There is clearly something very wrong with either nos, ATC, or the NOTAM system (or perhaps I did overlook something, but I was as careful as possible). I would appreciate hearing your commentsecond officerutcome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PLT WAS CONFUSED WHEN TOLD THERE WAS NO INSTRUMENT APCH TO HIS DESTINATION ARPT (GVE), EVEN THOUGH HE HAD A CURRENT APCH PLATE. PLT HAD FAILED TO CHECK FDC NOTAMS.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT 39N AT XB30 ON AUG/TUE/89 TO FLY TO GORDONSVILLE, VA MUNI ARPT. I CALLED NY TRACON BY PHONE TO RECEIVE MY CLRNC WHICH WAS ALMOST EXACTLY AS FILED. I WAS PLEASED SINCE I HAD SPENT THE WHOLE PREVIOUS EVENING PREPARING MY FLT. I USED ALL CURRENT INFO FROM ARPT FACS DIRECTORY ENRTE LOW ALT CHARTS, APCH PLATES. I EVEN OVERPLOTTED MY ROUTE ON TO SECTIONALS IN CASE I COULD CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED VFR. HAVING OBTAINED A WX OUTLOOK FROM NE PHILADELPHIA, I SLEPT WELL. I GOT MY FULL WX BRIEFING AT XA30 INCLUDING RELEVANT NOTAMS AND LEFT FOR THE ARPT. I TOOK OFF INTO CLEARING SKIES, AND THE FLT PROCEEDED FLAWLESSLY, MOSTLY AT 8000' IN VMC WITH THE GND EVER INCREASINGLY VISIBLE. I HAD BEEN CLRED 39N DIRECT SBJ V30 ETX V39 GVE AND WAS ACTUALLY VECTORED TO V39 THUS MISSING ETX. IT WAS GOING VERY WELL. ABOUT 15 MINS FROM GVE VORTAC, I HAD DESCENDED FROM 8000' TO 4000' MSL. WHEN THE WASHINGTON APCH CTL ASKED ME TO COPY WX, I DID SO AFTER WHICH I WAS ASKED TO RELAY MY INTENTIONS. I CHECKED THE WX REPORT AGAINST THE APCH MINIMUMS FOR GVE MUNI AND TOLD THE CTLR I WISHED TO SHOOT THE VOR APCH. APCH: 'THERE IS NO APCH FOR GORDONSVILLE'. A/C STUNNED SILENCE. 'BUT I HAVE THE PLATE IN FRONT OF ME'. APCH: 'SORRY, THERE IS NO APPROVED APCH FOR GORDONSVILLE'. A/C 'BUT MY INFO IS CURRENT'. APCH: 'THERE HAS BEEN NO APPROVED APCH AT GORDONSVILLE FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS'. A/C 'PLEASE STAND BY'. I CHECKED THE WX REPORT IN FRONT OF ME AND WHAT I COULD SEE BELOW, THERE WERE ENORMOUS BREAKS IN THE 1200 SCATTERED LAYER. REPORTED VISIBILITY WAS 2 1/2 MI. A/C 'WASHINGTON APCH I WOULD LIKE TO CANCEL IFR AND CONTINUE VFR'. APCH: 'ROGER SQUAWK 1200'. I HAD NO PROBLEM IN DESCENDING AND FINDING THE ARPT, THE LNDG WAS ENTIRELY SUCCESSFUL. THE VISIBILITY, HOWEVER, WAS MARGINAL DUE TO RAIN SHOWERS WHICH I FLEW AROUND AND I WAS GLAD TO BE ON THE GND. AS I SEE IT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THIS. I WAS LUCKY THE WX WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO LAND. HAD IT NOT BEEN, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF OTHER FIELDS I COULD HAVE GONE TO, BUT NONE THAT HAD TRANSPORT WAITING FOR ME, WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE THE TRIP POINTLESS. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THE APCH WAS VALID. IT WAS IN THE ARPT FAC DIRECTORY. SHOWN IN BLUE ON THE NOS ENRTE CHARTS, HAD A PUBLISHED PROC PLATE AND THERE WERE NO NOTAMS TO THE CONTRARY. I FEEL THAT MY FLT PLAN SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THAT DEST AND AM ANGRY ABOUT THAT. HOWEVER, SINCE GORDONSVILLE MUNI AND GORDONSVILLE VORTAC BOTH HAVE THE SAME IDENTIFIER (GVE) IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE FSS MISUNDERSTOOD MY INTENTIONS? AND IF SO, THEN WHY DO THE DIFFERENT FACS HAVE THE SAME IDENTIFIER CODE? OR DID MY FINAL (WASHINGTON) APCH CTLR MAKE A MISTAKE? OR DID NOS MAKE A MISTAKE IN THEIR PUBS. I FEEL THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION GIVEN DIFFERENT WX CONDITIONS. EVEN I WAS NOT REALLY PLEASED WITH MY DECISION TO GO VFR. HAD IT BEEN A COMMERCIAL FLT, THE FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES MAY HAVE MADE SOMEBODY ELSE ATTEMPT A VFR APCH WITH A VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOME. THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH EITHER NOS, ATC, OR THE NOTAM SYSTEM (OR PERHAPS I DID OVERLOOK SOMETHING, BUT I WAS AS CAREFUL AS POSSIBLE). I WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING YOUR COMMENTS/OUTCOME.

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.