Narrative:

I was the captain operating from okc-dfw. Our clearance at okc was to dfw via irw.UKW7.dfw, ie, bowie 7 arrival, will rogers transition to dfw. On this arrival, an aircraft is to fly the 140 degree radial from bowie to intercept the TTT (maverick) 306 degree radial and expect vectors to dfw. The transition from ukw 140 degree radial (bowie) to TTT 306 degree radial (maverick) occurs at ukw DME 13, known as bambe intersection. For the past week or so, the TTT VOR has been OTS. Unfortunately, this has only been reflected in the ATIS NOTAM portion. It was not placed in our local NOTAMS with our dispatch releases. Prior to arriving at bowie, we picked up the ATIS which mentioned TTT VOR OTS. Usually, center would give us 129 degree radial ukw after arriving over ukw (bowie) then expect radar vectors. Today, ZFW was extremely congested. However, prior to our handoff to approach we'd been hearing center clear jet aircraft on a different arrival. So we asked if center had alternate routing after ukw. They stated no and contact approach control. Since he was so busy we switched to approach and began tracking the ukw 140 degree radial portion of the arrival. Unfortunately, approach frequency was even more busy. We tried several times to initiate contact but could not. By this time we were at 140 degree radial ukw DME 13 beyond which we couldn't track TTT since it was inoperative. Since approach usually gave ukw 129 degree radial to track due to TTT outage, I tuned that in and noticed that we were still within 10 degrees of the radial. Finally, we were able to contact approach. At this time we were about 16-17 mi from bowie, 3-4 mi from bambe intersection. I asked approach what heading they wanted us to fly, to which he asked if we were tracking any radial. I reminded him that TTT VOR was OTS and center did not give alternate routing but simply handed us over to approach. Then he asked us to fly heading 130 degrees. There was absolutely no interference to any other aircraft, nor was safety compromised at any time. It was VFR and TCASII did not show any threat from, or to, any other aircraft. I believe, putting aside the fact that ATC should apprise all their controllers of NAVAID outages, controllers picking up for one another and being in charge of multiple frequencys also contributed to these problems. From my side, I've often specifically reminded ATC of NAVAID outages, except for this one time. Lesson learned. Had it been IMC, I'd have definitely reminded them of the matter earlier when initiating contact with center. Problem is that, until we get the ATIS, we don't know if the NAVAID has been reinstated to service or not. Greater coordination is definitely required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E120 CREW, ON ARR TO DFW, WERE GIVEN VECTORS BY APCH WHEN REMINDED A NAVAID WAS INOP.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OPERATING FROM OKC-DFW. OUR CLRNC AT OKC WAS TO DFW VIA IRW.UKW7.DFW, IE, BOWIE 7 ARR, WILL ROGERS TRANSITION TO DFW. ON THIS ARR, AN ACFT IS TO FLY THE 140 DEG RADIAL FROM BOWIE TO INTERCEPT THE TTT (MAVERICK) 306 DEG RADIAL AND EXPECT VECTORS TO DFW. THE TRANSITION FROM UKW 140 DEG RADIAL (BOWIE) TO TTT 306 DEG RADIAL (MAVERICK) OCCURS AT UKW DME 13, KNOWN AS BAMBE INTXN. FOR THE PAST WK OR SO, THE TTT VOR HAS BEEN OTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HAS ONLY BEEN REFLECTED IN THE ATIS NOTAM PORTION. IT WAS NOT PLACED IN OUR LCL NOTAMS WITH OUR DISPATCH RELEASES. PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT BOWIE, WE PICKED UP THE ATIS WHICH MENTIONED TTT VOR OTS. USUALLY, CTR WOULD GIVE US 129 DEG RADIAL UKW AFTER ARRIVING OVER UKW (BOWIE) THEN EXPECT RADAR VECTORS. TODAY, ZFW WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO OUR HDOF TO APCH WE'D BEEN HEARING CTR CLR JET ACFT ON A DIFFERENT ARR. SO WE ASKED IF CTR HAD ALTERNATE ROUTING AFTER UKW. THEY STATED NO AND CONTACT APCH CTL. SINCE HE WAS SO BUSY WE SWITCHED TO APCH AND BEGAN TRACKING THE UKW 140 DEG RADIAL PORTION OF THE ARR. UNFORTUNATELY, APCH FREQ WAS EVEN MORE BUSY. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO INITIATE CONTACT BUT COULD NOT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT 140 DEG RADIAL UKW DME 13 BEYOND WHICH WE COULDN'T TRACK TTT SINCE IT WAS INOP. SINCE APCH USUALLY GAVE UKW 129 DEG RADIAL TO TRACK DUE TO TTT OUTAGE, I TUNED THAT IN AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE STILL WITHIN 10 DEGS OF THE RADIAL. FINALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT APCH. AT THIS TIME WE WERE ABOUT 16-17 MI FROM BOWIE, 3-4 MI FROM BAMBE INTXN. I ASKED APCH WHAT HDG THEY WANTED US TO FLY, TO WHICH HE ASKED IF WE WERE TRACKING ANY RADIAL. I REMINDED HIM THAT TTT VOR WAS OTS AND CTR DID NOT GIVE ALTERNATE ROUTING BUT SIMPLY HANDED US OVER TO APCH. THEN HE ASKED US TO FLY HDG 130 DEGS. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO INTERFERENCE TO ANY OTHER ACFT, NOR WAS SAFETY COMPROMISED AT ANY TIME. IT WAS VFR AND TCASII DID NOT SHOW ANY THREAT FROM, OR TO, ANY OTHER ACFT. I BELIEVE, PUTTING ASIDE THE FACT THAT ATC SHOULD APPRISE ALL THEIR CTLRS OF NAVAID OUTAGES, CTLRS PICKING UP FOR ONE ANOTHER AND BEING IN CHARGE OF MULTIPLE FREQS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THESE PROBS. FROM MY SIDE, I'VE OFTEN SPECIFICALLY REMINDED ATC OF NAVAID OUTAGES, EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE TIME. LESSON LEARNED. HAD IT BEEN IMC, I'D HAVE DEFINITELY REMINDED THEM OF THE MATTER EARLIER WHEN INITIATING CONTACT WITH CTR. PROB IS THAT, UNTIL WE GET THE ATIS, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE NAVAID HAS BEEN REINSTATED TO SVC OR NOT. GREATER COORD IS DEFINITELY REQUIRED.

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.