Narrative:

As a pilot on a recent flight into hattiesburg, ms, chain municipal airport, I discovered the following situation. Not being familiar with the area, this was my first flight into hattiesburg, some confusion resulted due to the labeling of the hattiesburg-laurel regional airport. This airport shows 3 different forms of identify on commercial charts. Please refer to the attached copies of approach charts and en route charts. The approach chart for chain municipal shows that the altimeter setting required for the lowest minimums is from pine belt regional. The plan view shows the pine belt airport just north of the eaton VOR. ZHU gave us the 'laurel regional' altimeter setting. ATC referred to our destination airport as 'bobby chain.' the en route chart depicts the hattiesburg/laurel regional airport. This label indicates that the approach charts for this airport are found in manual alphabetically under hattiesburg. However, this airport is actually indexed under laurel/hattiesburg. Please look into the contradictory nature of this labeling. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a call to the commercial chart maker revealed that they have changed the name of pine belt airport to hattiesburg- laurel regional airport. They also changed the altimeter setting note and the name of the pine belt airport on the hattiesburg, chain municipal airport approach plate. Finally, the name of the laurel/hattiesburg regional airport has been changed to hattiesburg laurel regional airport to make it easier to find it in the book. There is no indicating that NOAA is taking similar steps to reduce/eliminate the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT NAME CARRIED ON APCH AND ENRTE CHARTS CAUSES CONFUSION BTWN HATTIESBURG BOBBY L CHAIN MUNICIPAL ARPT (HBG) AND LAUREL-HATTIESBURG LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT (PIB).

Narrative: AS A PLT ON A RECENT FLT INTO HATTIESBURG, MS, CHAIN MUNICIPAL ARPT, I DISCOVERED THE FOLLOWING SIT. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO HATTIESBURG, SOME CONFUSION RESULTED DUE TO THE LABELING OF THE HATTIESBURG-LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT. THIS ARPT SHOWS 3 DIFFERENT FORMS OF IDENT ON COMMERCIAL CHARTS. PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED COPIES OF APCH CHARTS AND ENRTE CHARTS. THE APCH CHART FOR CHAIN MUNICIPAL SHOWS THAT THE ALTIMETER SETTING REQUIRED FOR THE LOWEST MINIMUMS IS FROM PINE BELT REGIONAL. THE PLAN VIEW SHOWS THE PINE BELT ARPT JUST N OF THE EATON VOR. ZHU GAVE US THE 'LAUREL REGIONAL' ALTIMETER SETTING. ATC REFERRED TO OUR DEST ARPT AS 'BOBBY CHAIN.' THE ENRTE CHART DEPICTS THE HATTIESBURG/LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT. THIS LABEL INDICATES THAT THE APCH CHARTS FOR THIS ARPT ARE FOUND IN MANUAL ALPHABETICALLY UNDER HATTIESBURG. HOWEVER, THIS ARPT IS ACTUALLY INDEXED UNDER LAUREL/HATTIESBURG. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF THIS LABELING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A CALL TO THE COMMERCIAL CHART MAKER REVEALED THAT THEY HAVE CHANGED THE NAME OF PINE BELT ARPT TO HATTIESBURG- LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT. THEY ALSO CHANGED THE ALTIMETER SETTING NOTE AND THE NAME OF THE PINE BELT ARPT ON THE HATTIESBURG, CHAIN MUNICIPAL ARPT APCH PLATE. FINALLY, THE NAME OF THE LAUREL/HATTIESBURG REGIONAL ARPT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO HATTIESBURG LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND IT IN THE BOOK. THERE IS NO INDICATING THAT NOAA IS TAKING SIMILAR STEPS TO REDUCE/ELIMINATE THE CONFUSION.

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.