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

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Key Takeaways:

A new RNAV approach at Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, is rendered impractical by a high Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) of 4000 feet above the airport, primarily due to terrain constraints for the missed approach procedure.
This high MDA forces pilots to resort to unsafe "scud running" or a challenging circling-only approach, despite the potential for lower minimums offered by GPS technology.
The article proposes using a "charted visual segment" from the Missed Approach Point to the airport as a solution, a rarely used TERPS tool that could provide a safer, officially sanctioned method for the final visual descent in complex terrain.
The author and an Alaskan pilot plan to consult with an approach expert to develop a new, practical approach incorporating this charted visual segment.

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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.