Scud Running and RNAV Approaches: A Little Bit of Both

In most of the world, a shiny, new RNAV approach that lowers minimums by 500 feet is cause for celebration. Not so at Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska. At least thats what one Alaskan pilot and IFR reader tells me. Our phone call puzzling out a potential solution revealed limitations of cockpit tech, the practicality of old-school scud running, and a potential remedy by blending the two.

jwanwest

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The new RNAV approach at Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, is largely impractical for pilots due to an excessively high Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) of 4000 feet above the airport.
This high MDA is primarily imposed by strict terrain clearance requirements and climb gradient limitations specifically for the missed approach procedure, rendering a lower MDA unsafe according to regulations.
Consequently, pilots often resort to riskier "scud running" or complex visual maneuvers, effectively bypassing the published RNAV approach due to its impracticality for actual instrument conditions.
A potential solution involves incorporating a rarely used "charted visual segment" into the approach, which could blend modern navigation with visual flight rules to create a safer and more practical approach for challenging terrain.

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In most of the world, a shiny, new RNAV approach that lowers minimums by 500 feet is cause for celebration. Not so at Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska. At least that’s what one Alaskan pilot and IFR reader tells me. Our phone call puzzling out a potential solution revealed limitations of cockpit tech, the practicality of old-school scud running, and a potential remedy by blending the two.

Anaktuvuk Pass airport is a gravel strip serving a village of about 300 people. The only way in is by snow machine or aircraft. There’s an NDB on the field that both served as the only approach navaid, and the terminus of airway A4—an NDB airway that stops at an NDB transmitting from almost 5000 feet below the peaks that surround the airport.