Air Traffic Control Fully Certified; Flight Crew Instrument
Air Traffic Control Non Radar 17; Air Traffic Control Supervisory 15; Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 30; Flight Crew Total 3000
Troubleshooting; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; General Police / Security Involved
Procedure; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Last month I was contacted by a chief pilot; stating they were losing GPS satellite coverage on the RNAV (GPS) RWY 33 approach within the last mile of the approach. This would happen intermittently with different aircraft; and different avionics.  RNAV (GPS) RWY 33 approach also uses Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) which is a network of ground-based reference stations to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS).After many inquiries to different divisions within the FAA; I discussed the issue with a Senior Engineer from DOT/FAA Spectrum Engineering Services; who put me in contact with the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau. I spoke with an agent in Philadelphia. Agent located a GPS jamming unit in a truck located within one mile from the approach end of Runway 33. The truck was in a parking lot; henceforth the intermittent interference; when the truck left the area; the GPS approach was normal. Agent confiscated the jamming unit and destroyed it with a sledge hammer. The driver had no idea he was using a device that was illegal. He was using the jammer to disable a tracking device that was placed in his vehicle by a vendor; to hide his location.
A truck driver near PNE installed a jamming device to block his GPS derived position; but when nearby the airport the device also interfered with the GPS signal on the RNAV (GPS) Runway 33 final approach.