Narrative:

I was flying a GPS equipped 1976 beech bonanza V-35B/G. The WX at the time (reported by the union city AWOS) was 2300 ft AGL overcast. The tops were around 5000 ft MSL. I was flying on an IFR flight plan at 6000 ft MSL direct to ucy (the everett stewart airport at union city, tn). The memphis center controller cleared me down to 2500 ft MSL. I acknowledged the clearance and began the descent. While passing through 3000 ft MSL, center cleared me down to 2200 ft MSL and told me to 'report the field in sight for the visual approach.' I acknowledged the new clearance and continued the descent and leveled off at 2200 ft MSL about 10 miles east of ucy. At 2200 ft MSL, I was still in solid IMC. I made several attempts to contact center on 134.65 MHZ (my last assigned frequency) to request the ILS approach to runway 01. I received no response. I tried the alternate frequency for center (133.65 MHZ), again no answer. After several more calls, I realized that I would not be able to contact center at my current altitude of 2200 ft MSL. (Prior to a couple of months ago there would not have been a communication problem because ucy enjoyed the benefits of an rco (128.05 MHZ) which would allow communication with center on the ground at ucy. However, since this frequency has been deleted it is almost impossible to contact center below about 3000 ft MSL within 10 nautical miles of the ucy airport.) now I was in a quandary. My current clearance was to ucy at 2200 ft MSL. There is no published hold at ucy (the missed approach hold is at uc (the outer marker), but I'm not cleared to the marker. Should I make up a hold over ucy until my ETA, then proceed to the marker and shoot the ILS approach, or proceed to uc and hold till my ETA then shoot the approach? Fortunately, about 4 miles east of ucy I broke out into MVFR just below the overcast. I immediately started down to pattern altitude and broadcast in the blind on my last assigned frequency (134.65 MHZ) and squawked 1200 on the transponder. I then switched over to the unicom frequency (122.7 MHZ) and called the airport. Fortunately, the FBO was still open and relayed my IFR cancellation to the FSS in jackson, tn (mkl). (As I later found out center never heard me cancel IFR.) had this event happened a few mins later the FBO would have been closed! Had the WX been lower I would have really been in a dilemma. Go to ucy and hold over the field until my ETA, proceed direct to the outer marker and hold (till the ETA), or what? The whole situation could have been avoided if: 1) I had refused the clearance and demanded either an approach clearance, or an expect approach clearance, 2) I hadn't been given a nebulous clearance in the first place when the WX (at that time) for the entire area was IFR, and 3) if the rco was still in service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stressed the inadequacy of current charting and radio coverage to allow safe and efficient IFR operations to ucy. He noted particularly that the inability to contact ZME from the 2000 ft AGL holding pattern following a missed approach is an absolute certainty. He advised that he is aware of one ucy based pilot who had exactly that experience. He feels that the ucy IAP aeronautical charts either have to be revised to reflect the communication problem with ZME or the rco facility must be replaced. He further commented that in the event of loss of communication, an IFR clearance direct to the airport is inappropriate since the airport is not technically an IAF for the ucy IAP procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BE35 INBND IFR TO UCY LOSES CONTACT WITH ZME WHILE ON CLRNC DIRECT TO ARPT. LOSS OF COM IS THE RESULT OF THE DEACTIVATION OF THE RCO FREQUENCY SERVING UCY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A GPS EQUIPPED 1976 BEECH BONANZA V-35B/G. THE WX AT THE TIME (RPTED BY THE UNION CITY AWOS) WAS 2300 FT AGL OVERCAST. THE TOPS WERE AROUND 5000 FT MSL. I WAS FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AT 6000 FT MSL DIRECT TO UCY (THE EVERETT STEWART ARPT AT UNION CITY, TN). THE MEMPHIS CTR CTLR CLRED ME DOWN TO 2500 FT MSL. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND BEGAN THE DSCNT. WHILE PASSING THROUGH 3000 FT MSL, CTR CLRED ME DOWN TO 2200 FT MSL AND TOLD ME TO 'RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL APCH.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEW CLRNC AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND LEVELED OFF AT 2200 FT MSL ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF UCY. AT 2200 FT MSL, I WAS STILL IN SOLID IMC. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CTR ON 134.65 MHZ (MY LAST ASSIGNED FREQ) TO REQUEST THE ILS APCH TO RWY 01. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I TRIED THE ALTERNATE FREQ FOR CTR (133.65 MHZ), AGAIN NO ANSWER. AFTER SEVERAL MORE CALLS, I REALIZED THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTACT CTR AT MY CURRENT ALT OF 2200 FT MSL. (PRIOR TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A COM PROB BECAUSE UCY ENJOYED THE BENEFITS OF AN RCO (128.05 MHZ) WHICH WOULD ALLOW COM WITH CTR ON THE GND AT UCY. HOWEVER, SINCE THIS FREQ HAS BEEN DELETED IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTACT CTR BELOW ABOUT 3000 FT MSL WITHIN 10 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE UCY ARPT.) NOW I WAS IN A QUANDARY. MY CURRENT CLRNC WAS TO UCY AT 2200 FT MSL. THERE IS NO PUBLISHED HOLD AT UCY (THE MISSED APCH HOLD IS AT UC (THE OUTER MARKER), BUT I'M NOT CLRED TO THE MARKER. SHOULD I MAKE UP A HOLD OVER UCY UNTIL MY ETA, THEN PROCEED TO THE MARKER AND SHOOT THE ILS APCH, OR PROCEED TO UC AND HOLD TILL MY ETA THEN SHOOT THE APCH? FORTUNATELY, ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF UCY I BROKE OUT INTO MVFR JUST BELOW THE OVERCAST. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED DOWN TO PATTERN ALT AND BROADCAST IN THE BLIND ON MY LAST ASSIGNED FREQUENCY (134.65 MHZ) AND SQUAWKED 1200 ON THE XPONDER. I THEN SWITCHED OVER TO THE UNICOM FREQUENCY (122.7 MHZ) AND CALLED THE ARPT. FORTUNATELY, THE FBO WAS STILL OPEN AND RELAYED MY IFR CANCELLATION TO THE FSS IN JACKSON, TN (MKL). (AS I LATER FOUND OUT CTR NEVER HEARD ME CANCEL IFR.) HAD THIS EVENT HAPPENED A FEW MINS LATER THE FBO WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED! HAD THE WX BEEN LOWER I WOULD HAVE REALLY BEEN IN A DILEMMA. GO TO UCY AND HOLD OVER THE FIELD UNTIL MY ETA, PROCEED DIRECT TO THE OUTER MARKER AND HOLD (TILL THE ETA), OR WHAT? THE WHOLE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: 1) I HAD REFUSED THE CLRNC AND DEMANDED EITHER AN APCH CLRNC, OR AN EXPECT APCH CLRNC, 2) I HADN'T BEEN GIVEN A NEBULOUS CLRNC IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN THE WX (AT THAT TIME) FOR THE ENTIRE AREA WAS IFR, AND 3) IF THE RCO WAS STILL IN SERVICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STRESSED THE INADEQUACY OF CURRENT CHARTING AND RADIO COVERAGE TO ALLOW SAFE AND EFFICIENT IFR OPS TO UCY. HE NOTED PARTICULARLY THAT THE INABILITY TO CONTACT ZME FROM THE 2000 FT AGL HOLDING PATTERN FOLLOWING A MISSED APCH IS AN ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY. HE ADVISED THAT HE IS AWARE OF ONE UCY BASED PLT WHO HAD EXACTLY THAT EXPERIENCE. HE FEELS THAT THE UCY IAP AERO CHARTS EITHER HAVE TO BE REVISED TO REFLECT THE COM PROBLEM WITH ZME OR THE RCO FACILITY MUST BE REPLACED. HE FURTHER COMMENTED THAT IN THE EVENT OF LOSS OF COM, AN IFR CLRNC DIRECT TO THE ARPT IS INAPPROPRIATE SINCE THE ARPT IS NOT TECHNICALLY AN IAF FOR THE UCY IAP PROCS.

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.