Narrative:

Normal cargo flight from oak to dfw. Routine until level at 5000 ft MSL in contact with regional approach. This writer, the first officer, was flying in VMC conditions at 20 DME ILS 17L dfw. We were on a base leg for 17L at kdfw. Regional approach asked us if we cold accept a visual approach to runway 13L. As this runway was at 12 O'clock and approximately 18 mi away, we accepted the visual approach. While I hurriedly slowed the aircraft, the captain searched his manuals for an instrument approach to back up my visual approach. He could not find one (indeed there is no published approach to this runway), so he proceeded to configure the aircraft for landing and made our required visual callouts. As we slowed and descended on a straight-in final for runway 13L, regional approach asked, 'do you have the dam?' looking up, I saw a large lake running from 11 O'clock to 4 O'clock at the end of runway 13L. At the far end of this lake (at 11 O'clock) was a dam. The captain and I agreed that this was the dam in question and he answered 'roger, we have the dam in sight.' regional approach then instructed us to overfly the dam, pass behind traffic landing on 17L, and contact regional tower. Regional tower cleared us to land. I picked up the runway 13L vasis at approximately 1000 ft AGL. I noted we were low and adjusted the flight path accordingly. A normal landing/rollout was accomplished. When ground control was contacted, taxi instructions to the ramp were issued along with a request to telephone the approach control facility. The facility manager informed the captain that we had overflown the city of grapevine, tx, resulting in a noise violation. The captain informed him that we followed our clearance to the best of our knowledge. We flew the approach without any written instructions. Corrective actions. Regional approach should publish/disseminate dfw noise abatement procedures. I will notify the FAA, my company, and my union of this incident. I will attempt to acquire a written copy of noise sensitive areas/procedures at dfw and distribute this information myself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FLT OVER NOISE SENSITIVE AREA.

Narrative: NORMAL CARGO FLT FROM OAK TO DFW. ROUTINE UNTIL LEVEL AT 5000 FT MSL IN CONTACT WITH REGIONAL APCH. THIS WRITER, THE FO, WAS FLYING IN VMC CONDITIONS AT 20 DME ILS 17L DFW. WE WERE ON A BASE LEG FOR 17L AT KDFW. REGIONAL APCH ASKED US IF WE COLD ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 13L. AS THIS RWY WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK AND APPROX 18 MI AWAY, WE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH. WHILE I HURRIEDLY SLOWED THE ACFT, THE CAPT SEARCHED HIS MANUALS FOR AN INST APCH TO BACK UP MY VISUAL APCH. HE COULD NOT FIND ONE (INDEED THERE IS NO PUBLISHED APCH TO THIS RWY), SO HE PROCEEDED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG AND MADE OUR REQUIRED VISUAL CALLOUTS. AS WE SLOWED AND DSNDED ON A STRAIGHT-IN FINAL FOR RWY 13L, REGIONAL APCH ASKED, 'DO YOU HAVE THE DAM?' LOOKING UP, I SAW A LARGE LAKE RUNNING FROM 11 O'CLOCK TO 4 O'CLOCK AT THE END OF RWY 13L. AT THE FAR END OF THIS LAKE (AT 11 O'CLOCK) WAS A DAM. THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE DAM IN QUESTION AND HE ANSWERED 'ROGER, WE HAVE THE DAM IN SIGHT.' REGIONAL APCH THEN INSTRUCTED US TO OVERFLY THE DAM, PASS BEHIND TFC LNDG ON 17L, AND CONTACT REGIONAL TWR. REGIONAL TWR CLRED US TO LAND. I PICKED UP THE RWY 13L VASIS AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. I NOTED WE WERE LOW AND ADJUSTED THE FLT PATH ACCORDINGLY. A NORMAL LNDG/ROLLOUT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WHEN GND CTL WAS CONTACTED, TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RAMP WERE ISSUED ALONG WITH A REQUEST TO TELEPHONE THE APCH CTL FACILITY. THE FACILITY MGR INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE HAD OVERFLOWN THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TX, RESULTING IN A NOISE VIOLATION. THE CAPT INFORMED HIM THAT WE FOLLOWED OUR CLRNC TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE. WE FLEW THE APCH WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. REGIONAL APCH SHOULD PUBLISH/DISSEMINATE DFW NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS. I WILL NOTIFY THE FAA, MY COMPANY, AND MY UNION OF THIS INCIDENT. I WILL ATTEMPT TO ACQUIRE A WRITTEN COPY OF NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS/PROCS AT DFW AND DISTRIBUTE THIS INFO MYSELF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.