Narrative:

My concern does not address a particular event. I am warning of potential hazards. Specifically, LORAN navigation can be confused by the current use of the same locid's for airports and navaids. Good examples of the problem are provided by lga and hfd. Presently pilots enter lga for the lga VOR and the airport. They are not co-located, but they are deceptively close. Yet being cleared over the cabin attendant at lga and having lga in the LORAN does not mean you are navigating in the general direction of the airport. Even though they area close this kind of error in that airspace can be a problem. Hfd, a similar situation in terms of identify, is different geographically, although less dense airspace, the airport and VOR are very far apart. En route travel could be greatly in error. The solution is simple. Placing a 'V' after the VOR identified of VOR's having the same identify as an airport should be the standard practice for LORAN waypoint identify's. An 'north' could be similarly used for NDB's in the same situation. An appropriate FAA circular must be published and an addition made to the LORAN section of the aim. In this way, the distinction could be easily made by pilots, even when they flight different aircraft within a fleet. By entering the 'V' after the alphabetical location of waypoint would not be greatly altered. I understand pilot responsibility to oversee navigation instruments. This, of course, should not excuse situations where pilots misplace trust. However, it reduces the opportunity for pilot error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW COMPLAINT ABOUT VOR IDENTIFIERS WHERE VOR IS NOT CO-LOCATED WITH ARPT.

Narrative: MY CONCERN DOES NOT ADDRESS A PARTICULAR EVENT. I AM WARNING OF POTENTIAL HAZARDS. SPECIFICALLY, LORAN NAV CAN BE CONFUSED BY THE CURRENT USE OF THE SAME LOCID'S FOR ARPTS AND NAVAIDS. GOOD EXAMPLES OF THE PROB ARE PROVIDED BY LGA AND HFD. PRESENTLY PLTS ENTER LGA FOR THE LGA VOR AND THE ARPT. THEY ARE NOT CO-LOCATED, BUT THEY ARE DECEPTIVELY CLOSE. YET BEING CLRED OVER THE CAB AT LGA AND HAVING LGA IN THE LORAN DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE NAVIGATING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE ARPT. EVEN THOUGH THEY AREA CLOSE THIS KIND OF ERROR IN THAT AIRSPACE CAN BE A PROB. HFD, A SIMILAR SITUATION IN TERMS OF IDENT, IS DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICALLY, ALTHOUGH LESS DENSE AIRSPACE, THE ARPT AND VOR ARE VERY FAR APART. ENRTE TRAVEL COULD BE GREATLY IN ERROR. THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. PLACING A 'V' AFTER THE VOR IDENTIFIED OF VOR'S HAVING THE SAME IDENT AS AN ARPT SHOULD BE THE STANDARD PRACTICE FOR LORAN WAYPOINT IDENT'S. AN 'N' COULD BE SIMILARLY USED FOR NDB'S IN THE SAME SITUATION. AN APPROPRIATE FAA CIRCULAR MUST BE PUBLISHED AND AN ADDITION MADE TO THE LORAN SECTION OF THE AIM. IN THIS WAY, THE DISTINCTION COULD BE EASILY MADE BY PLTS, EVEN WHEN THEY FLT DIFFERENT ACFT WITHIN A FLEET. BY ENTERING THE 'V' AFTER THE ALPHABETICAL LOCATION OF WAYPOINT WOULD NOT BE GREATLY ALTERED. I UNDERSTAND PLT RESPONSIBILITY TO OVERSEE NAV INSTRUMENTS. THIS, OF COURSE, SHOULD NOT EXCUSE SITUATIONS WHERE PLTS MISPLACE TRUST. HOWEVER, IT REDUCES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PLT ERROR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.