Narrative:

This is in response to sfar 60 which is difficult to understand at best. It is the far requiring reservations into specific airports. I have landed many times without a hitch at many of the airports that require advanced reservation operations system (aros). Well my understanding of the aim is it is good for an hour or if after 31 past the hour it is good for 30 mins. Within the requirements of this we taxied out of teb for an XA50 slot into dca but took a 55 min ATC delay for our IFR out of teb. This put us on the ground at dca at XC00Z 40 mins past the applicable window. The regulations and the aim upon review do not cover anything in regard to ATC delays. I would assume this must be accounted for but I need to dig into this and make sure before I find myself in this situation again. I recommend the FAA clarify this for us, so we need not miss this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter says the far's regarding slot times and aros are difficult to understand and need to be rewritten in order to be more easily comprehended. In this incident, the reporter was uncomfortable with the ATC delay and the effect it would have on his reserved slot time for landing. Subsequently, he researched the effect of delays and now knows that ATC delays are not added to scheduled slot times. He was uncomfortable when finally departing, after lengthy delay, with the looming question in his mind about the legality of landing outside of his scheduled time. That concern bothered him, because had the far been understandable, that extra concern would not have been there when he should be devoting total attention to the flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SLOT TIME RESERVATIONS AND ATC DELAYS.

Narrative: THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO SFAR 60 WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AT BEST. IT IS THE FAR REQUIRING RESERVATIONS INTO SPECIFIC ARPTS. I HAVE LANDED MANY TIMES WITHOUT A HITCH AT MANY OF THE ARPTS THAT REQUIRE ADVANCED RESERVATION OPS SYS (AROS). WELL MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE AIM IS IT IS GOOD FOR AN HR OR IF AFTER 31 PAST THE HR IT IS GOOD FOR 30 MINS. WITHIN THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS WE TAXIED OUT OF TEB FOR AN XA50 SLOT INTO DCA BUT TOOK A 55 MIN ATC DELAY FOR OUR IFR OUT OF TEB. THIS PUT US ON THE GND AT DCA AT XC00Z 40 MINS PAST THE APPLICABLE WINDOW. THE REGS AND THE AIM UPON REVIEW DO NOT COVER ANYTHING IN REGARD TO ATC DELAYS. I WOULD ASSUME THIS MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR BUT I NEED TO DIG INTO THIS AND MAKE SURE BEFORE I FIND MYSELF IN THIS SIT AGAIN. I RECOMMEND THE FAA CLARIFY THIS FOR US, SO WE NEED NOT MISS THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAYS THE FAR'S REGARDING SLOT TIMES AND AROS ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND NEED TO BE REWRITTEN IN ORDER TO BE MORE EASILY COMPREHENDED. IN THIS INCIDENT, THE RPTR WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ATC DELAY AND THE EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE ON HIS RESERVED SLOT TIME FOR LNDG. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE RESEARCHED THE EFFECT OF DELAYS AND NOW KNOWS THAT ATC DELAYS ARE NOT ADDED TO SCHEDULED SLOT TIMES. HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN FINALLY DEPARTING, AFTER LENGTHY DELAY, WITH THE LOOMING QUESTION IN HIS MIND ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF LNDG OUTSIDE OF HIS SCHEDULED TIME. THAT CONCERN BOTHERED HIM, BECAUSE HAD THE FAR BEEN UNDERSTANDABLE, THAT EXTRA CONCERN WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN HE SHOULD BE DEVOTING TOTAL ATTN TO THE FLYING.

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.