Other Unwanted Situation
General None Reported / Taken
Chart Or Publication
Safety Concern: There is an enforceable; safety related discrepancy between instrument approach procedure (IAP) 'Notes' on company issued commercially provided SAN LOC27 and the same FAA/NGA procedure. FAA/NGA LOC27 contains the restriction: 'When Runway 27 VGSI inoperative; Straight-in and Circling minimums NA at night.' The current commercial IAP does not contain this restriction. Omission of this note may lead planners/dispatchers/pilots to think that without operative PAPIs; they are legal to fly the localizer approach. Omission of the note also removes a critical warning flag to pilots; which indicates that there is unlit; adverse terrain or unlit obstacles penetrating a 20:1 plane in the visual segment of the approach. Collectively; these two consequences of the note omission means that if a pilot tries to fly the approach without operative VGSI; he/she is exposed to more risk by removing the one and only visual aid used to ensure avoiding/clearing obstacles that may not be seen during darkness.
A reporter advised the commercially provided IAP chart for the LOC 27 at SAN does not include the restriction against use of the Straight-in and Circling minima at night when the VGSI (PAPI) is out of service which is published on the government produced chart.