A truck driver near pne installed a jamming device to block his GPS derived position; but when nearb...

Attributes
ACN	1283335
Time
Date	201506
Place
Locale Reference	PNE.Airport
State Reference	PA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Final Approach
Route In Use	Other RNAV (GPS) Rwy 33
Flight Plan	None
Component
Aircraft Component	GPS & Other Satellite Navigation
Person 1
Function	Local Supervisor / CIC
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Air Traffic Control Non Radar 17 Air Traffic Control Supervisory 15 Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 30 Flight Crew Total 3000
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural FAR Deviation - Procedural Security Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown

Narrative:

Last month I was contacted by a chief pilot; stating they were losing GPS satellite coverage on the RNAV (GPS) runway 33 approach within the last mile of the approach. This would happen intermittently with different aircraft; and different avionics. RNAV (GPS) runway 33 approach also uses wide area augmentation system (waas) which is a network of ground-based reference stations to augment the global positioning system (GPS).after many inquiries to different divisions within the FAA; I discussed the issue with a senior engineer from DOT/FAA spectrum engineering services; who put me in contact with the federal communications commission enforcement bureau. I spoke with an agent in philadelphia. Agent located a GPS jamming unit in a truck located within one mile from the approach end of runway 33. The truck was in a parking lot; henceforth the intermittent interference; when the truck left the area; the GPS approach was normal. Agent confiscated the jamming unit and destroyed it with a sledge hammer. The driver had no idea he was using a device that was illegal. He was using the jammer to disable a tracking device that was placed in his vehicle by a vendor; to hide his location.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A truck driver near PNE installed a jamming device to block his GPS derived position; but when nearby the airport the device also interfered with the GPS signal on the RNAV (GPS) Runway 33 final approach.

Narrative: Last month I was contacted by a chief pilot; stating they were losing GPS satellite coverage on the RNAV (GPS) RWY 33 approach within the last mile of the approach. This would happen intermittently with different aircraft; and different avionics. RNAV (GPS) RWY 33 approach also uses Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) which is a network of ground-based reference stations to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS).After many inquiries to different divisions within the FAA; I discussed the issue with a Senior Engineer from DOT/FAA Spectrum Engineering Services; who put me in contact with the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau. I spoke with an agent in Philadelphia. Agent located a GPS jamming unit in a truck located within one mile from the approach end of Runway 33. The truck was in a parking lot; henceforth the intermittent interference; when the truck left the area; the GPS approach was normal. Agent confiscated the jamming unit and destroyed it with a sledge hammer. The driver had no idea he was using a device that was illegal. He was using the jammer to disable a tracking device that was placed in his vehicle by a vendor; to hide his location.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

A truck driver near pne installed a jamming device to block his GPS derived position; but when nearby the airport the device also interfered with the GPS signal on the RNAV (GPS) runway 33 final approach.