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3 Answers

“NIGHT LANDING NA” in approach plate notes

Asked by: 5589 views Instrument Rating

Assuming that you are flying at night... 1) Can you land on the runways in VFR if you weren't IFR and didn't shoot an approach? Does the note mean that you cannot land on those runways at night no matter what? 3) Can you shoot a circling approach that is based on the NA runway? For instance, if you see "NIGHT LANDING: RWY 9, 18, 36 NA" in the notes of RNAV 9, can you shoot the RNAV approach if you're going to circle to RWY 27?

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    John D Collins on Mar 26, 2015

    1) Yes, you are not restricted from using the runway based on an IFR approach, but the most likely reason it is NA at night is because there are unlit obstacles on final that penetrate a 20 to 1 slope. A VFR airplane can hit them just as easily as an IFR airplane with the runway in sight while descending from the MDA.

    2) No. However, it does not make it wise. I am more comfortable if i am familiar with the airport and its approaches to the runway and where the unlit obstacles are located.

    3) The note is there because of the reason stated in number 1. So if the runway is not included in the list of NA runways, then it doesn’t have the issue, so it is safe to use it at night.

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  2. Drew on Mar 26, 2015

    Thank you, John.

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  3. Mark Kolber on Mar 28, 2015

    Drew, a note on an approach plate applies to the approach. It doesn’t apply to anything else.

    If it applies to all approaches to that airport, the note will appear on all the approach plates for that airport. If it applies to VFR as well as IFR ops, in addition to being on every approach plate, it will also be in the AFD.

    I’m not sure I agree with John on the “wise” part in #2. I’m pretty sure I’ve landed VFR at night on runways that had “NA at night” for a runway on the approach plate, whether for circling or some other procedure. I’ve even landed at night on runways at airports that had no instrument approach at all! Come to think of it, how would a VFR pilot even know the instrument approach chart for that runway said landing on a certain runway was NA at night?

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