Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Weather; Procedure; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors
SBA is currently reporting an active NOTAM that renders the DA for both the ILS and GPS approaches to 7/25 NA due to a temporary crane. This NOTAM only leaves the VOR 7 as a usable approach. The ceiling at SBA at our time of arrival was 300 feet. The VOR DA would be 500 feet; while the ILS DA (if usable) would be 220 feet. Upon switching frequencies to SBA Approach; we were told to expect the ILS. The Pilot Monitoring queried ATC about the clearance in comparison to the active NOTAM. ATC informed the flight crew that the crane was not currently up; is only up at certain times depending on the weather; and must receive permission from SBA ATC before erecting it. So ATC advices that the NOTAMs for both the crane and the approach DAs being NA were not currently active or applicable. ATC also notified us that there was another aircraft currently holding for the same reason trying to get a hold of company. We notified ATC that we would accept his verbal confirmation that the NOTAM was no longer active and would continue with flying the ILS 7 as assigned by ATC. The approach was flown to the runway with no abnormal events.Suggestions - SBA only issuing a temporary NOTAM during the times when the crane is actually up and constituting an obstacle; and removing the NOTAM when the crane is not erected and constituting a hazard to aircraft flying the approaches to runways 7/25.
Pilot reported SBA has an active crane related NOTAM that is only really active at certain times.