Narrative:

On may/xa/98, I was conducting an instrument training flight with a student. I planned to fly IFR to the 'new' midamerica airport. I suspected this airport would have some problems because it was only recently opened and it is co-located with a military airport (scott AFB). Because of this, I was particularly diligent to get NOTAMS including fdc NOTAMS from saint louis FSS before departing. The specialist gave me 3 NOTAMS. 1) runway 14R/32L was closed. 2) the beacon was nonstandard because it had not been converted from the military type. 3) the MDA's for the ILS runway 14R approach had been increased. The specialist also started to give me GPS NOTAMS, but I stopped her and told her we were not GPS equipped. I then specifically asked if the ILS runway 14R approach would be available because runway 14R was closed. She told me the approach would be available. We departed and called saint louis approach in the air for our clearance. We were cleared to midamerica airport via radar vectors. The controller asked us what approach we wanted at midamerica. We told him ILS runway 14R. He said runway 14R was closed. I told him that was ok because we only wanted to shoot the approach to a missed. He said 'I cannot give you an approach to a closed runway.' let me pause at this point to raise my first 2 questions. Why would there be a disparity between what the FSS specialist was telling us when we planned the flight and what the controller was telling us once we were in the air? Second why couldn't a controller issue an approach to a closed runway? Clearance for the approach and clearance to land are not the same thing. Then saint louis approach control said he would give us radar vectors to ILS runway 14L. In a little while my student said he couldn't find the approach for ILS runway 14L. I took the book and I could find an ILS approach for every runway at midamerica except runway 14L. Neither the student nor I could find an ILS runway 14L approach chart. At this point I was convinced I had screwed things up and we continued inbound to runway 14L on a visual after having been cleared for an ILS runway 14L approach. This is my third question. Why would they give us an approach that neither I nor anyone I talk with can find? It wasn't a matter of the military/civilian confusion because runway 14L is the civilian side of the base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS GIVEN CONFLICTING INFO REGARDING WHETHER HE COULD MAKE A PRACTICE ILS APCH TO A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98, I WAS CONDUCTING AN INST TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT. I PLANNED TO FLY IFR TO THE 'NEW' MIDAMERICA ARPT. I SUSPECTED THIS ARPT WOULD HAVE SOME PROBS BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY RECENTLY OPENED AND IT IS CO-LOCATED WITH A MIL ARPT (SCOTT AFB). BECAUSE OF THIS, I WAS PARTICULARLY DILIGENT TO GET NOTAMS INCLUDING FDC NOTAMS FROM SAINT LOUIS FSS BEFORE DEPARTING. THE SPECIALIST GAVE ME 3 NOTAMS. 1) RWY 14R/32L WAS CLOSED. 2) THE BEACON WAS NONSTANDARD BECAUSE IT HAD NOT BEEN CONVERTED FROM THE MIL TYPE. 3) THE MDA'S FOR THE ILS RWY 14R APCH HAD BEEN INCREASED. THE SPECIALIST ALSO STARTED TO GIVE ME GPS NOTAMS, BUT I STOPPED HER AND TOLD HER WE WERE NOT GPS EQUIPPED. I THEN SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF THE ILS RWY 14R APCH WOULD BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE RWY 14R WAS CLOSED. SHE TOLD ME THE APCH WOULD BE AVAILABLE. WE DEPARTED AND CALLED SAINT LOUIS APCH IN THE AIR FOR OUR CLRNC. WE WERE CLRED TO MIDAMERICA ARPT VIA RADAR VECTORS. THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT APCH WE WANTED AT MIDAMERICA. WE TOLD HIM ILS RWY 14R. HE SAID RWY 14R WAS CLOSED. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS OK BECAUSE WE ONLY WANTED TO SHOOT THE APCH TO A MISSED. HE SAID 'I CANNOT GIVE YOU AN APCH TO A CLOSED RWY.' LET ME PAUSE AT THIS POINT TO RAISE MY FIRST 2 QUESTIONS. WHY WOULD THERE BE A DISPARITY BTWN WHAT THE FSS SPECIALIST WAS TELLING US WHEN WE PLANNED THE FLT AND WHAT THE CTLR WAS TELLING US ONCE WE WERE IN THE AIR? SECOND WHY COULDN'T A CTLR ISSUE AN APCH TO A CLOSED RWY? CLRNC FOR THE APCH AND CLRNC TO LAND ARE NOT THE SAME THING. THEN SAINT LOUIS APCH CTL SAID HE WOULD GIVE US RADAR VECTORS TO ILS RWY 14L. IN A LITTLE WHILE MY STUDENT SAID HE COULDN'T FIND THE APCH FOR ILS RWY 14L. I TOOK THE BOOK AND I COULD FIND AN ILS APCH FOR EVERY RWY AT MIDAMERICA EXCEPT RWY 14L. NEITHER THE STUDENT NOR I COULD FIND AN ILS RWY 14L APCH CHART. AT THIS POINT I WAS CONVINCED I HAD SCREWED THINGS UP AND WE CONTINUED INBOUND TO RWY 14L ON A VISUAL AFTER HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR AN ILS RWY 14L APCH. THIS IS MY THIRD QUESTION. WHY WOULD THEY GIVE US AN APCH THAT NEITHER I NOR ANYONE I TALK WITH CAN FIND? IT WASN'T A MATTER OF THE MIL/CIVILIAN CONFUSION BECAUSE RWY 14L IS THE CIVILIAN SIDE OF THE BASE.

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.