Notams in Corona times

[His dudeness]

...reading, a forgotten art, apparently...

Article in German, but it says that
EW A320 returns to DUS when it comes apparent that OLB is closed, as stated in the NOTAMs

Only 2 pax on the aircraft, so the rebooking costs are bearable.

The next airliner that calls me a cowboy (an executive a/c pilot) gets to eat a thick pack of NOTAMs, I promise...

On a serious note, this might spark new life into the idea to reduce the nidicolous amount of NOTAMs one receives. Not to long ago EDFM-EGCC -> 57 pages, mostly drivel nobody requires to know, like that the Yemen airspace is closed to german aircraft and the like.

[the_stranger]

It could have been a computer issue.
At my outfit we use the Lido flightplan system and a few times a notam, which I knew to be active (from a previous flight) was not presented in the (electronic) briefing package.
Nowhere as crucial as a closed airport, but still.

After a call with the flightplanner, who did see that notam and a quick refresh of the briefing the notam was visible again.

[dirk85]

Italian press reporting there were two passengers on board.

[what next]

Hello!

Originally Posted by His dudeness

...that calls me a cowboy (an executive a/c pilot) ...

I think the airline guys lack our creativity. This is the text of the relevant Olbia NOTAM:

B2520/20 NOTAMR B2381/20
Q) LIRR/QFALT/IV/NBO/A/000/999/4053N00931E005
A) LIEO B) 2005211514 C) 2006022200EST
E) COVID-19.
AERODROME CLOSED TO COMMERCIAL AVIATION TRAFFIC
IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGIONE SARDEGNA DECREE 23 OF 17TH MAY 2020.
RMK: GENERAL AVIATION ACTIVITY AND COMMERCIAL AVIATION ACTIVITY
ON DEMAND (AEROTAXI) WITH AIRCRAFT HAVING MAXIMUM CABIN
CONFIGURATION EQUAL OR LESS THAN 19 SEATS ARE APPROVED IN
COMPLIANCE WITH MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION
DECREE 207/2020 AND REGIONE SARDEGNA DECREE 23 OF 17TH MAY
2020.
REF AIP AD 2 LIEO 1-1

So all that would have been required would have been to place paper towels with "INOP" written on them placed on 178 of the 190 (or so) seats and call it a "business flight" to comply with that NOTAM. The three or four ot five flight attendants on that plane could easily have done that en route since there was not much else for them to do

[sbthomas]

Why didn’t they think of that

Originally Posted by what next

So all that would have been required would have been to place paper towels with "INOP" written on them placed on 178 of the 190 (or so) seats and call it a "business flight" to comply with that NOTAM. The three or four ot five flight attendants on that plane could easily have done that en route since there was not much else for them to do

Creative thinking indeed.

[Denti]

And now the press reports the flight was inadvertently dispatched a month earlier than planned. Just normal Lufthansa planning after all, complete shambles. But hey, the taxpayer pays for that anyway, so who cares?

[His dudeness]

Well a month give or take, who aside from the slot coordinators care... Just how can one board a flight with a boarding pass for a flight a month later ? What about the mantra of post 9/11, security ?

And maybe the got next month notams. Then of course they´d have to get biscuits with the tea.

As so often, it seems life writes the best comedy of all.

So all that would have been required would have been to place paper towels with "INOP" written on them placed on 178 of the 190 (or so) seats and call it a "business flight" to comply with that NOTAM. The three or four ot five flight attendants on that plane could easily have done that en route since there was not much else for them to do

Good thinking - a real GA pilot indeed! One thing though, you´d have to call AIS/OPS and change the FPL to N or G Type of ops, to cover all eventualities...

[OldLurker]

Says here the Italians did open the airport but a few hours later changed their minds and closed it again. Maybe some confusion was inevitable.
http://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lu...port-is-closed

[citabria06g]

Originally Posted by OldLurker

Says here the Italians did open the airport but a few hours later changed their minds and closed it again. Maybe some confusion was inevitable.
http://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lu...port-is-closed

NOTAM was issued on the 21st. Flight was on the 23rd. Inexcusable. Tea, no biscuits for crew and dispatcher.

[atakacs]

I agree about the dispatcher getting tea without biscuit but I guess they would have fed a flight plan ? Did the Italians accept it ?

[dirk85]

It’s Eurocontrol to accept flight plans, if formally correct, not the individual country.

The airport was supposed to be closed 40 days since February to repave and works on the rwy, then remained closed due to the virus all the way till now.

[Less Hair]

Closed for aircraft beyond 19 seats. This part of the NOTAM they missed or mixed that up with the actual passenger number travelling on board (2 of them).

[His dudeness]

Just landed at my homebase, which is closed between 1200 and 1400 utc but PPR during that time. We filed the plan for an arrival during closure. Eurocontrol don´t care, I´d guess they simply don´t have the information.The second last controller told us that the field is closed, but was called by the phone just a few seconds later by our tower.

[ATC Watcher]

Eurocontrol IFPS do not check NOTAMs. If your flight plan fits the format , and the route is free of restrictions , if will be accepted and sent off..
Reading and complying with NOTAMs is the PIC responsibility ..In this case OPS and the dispatcher missed it, but the buck stop with the PIC..
That said, as mentioned before , the German DFS NOTAM system is totally out of reality . These Yemen or Somali NOTAMs on airspace being closed are popping up even on a PLN Frankfurt to Amsterdam .
But only typing LIEO NOTAM in google on your smartphone would show you the relevant destination NOTAMS in 2 seconds...

[LookingForAJob]

I rather admire the attitude of this pilot, but I guess NOTAMs were not really the issue.