Arrs from the east going into slc unable read ATIS until approximately 40 mi out.

Attributes
ACN	106652
Time
Date	198903
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slc
State Reference	UT
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : slc artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zlc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 9000
ASRS Report	106652
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Arrs from the east going into slc on J116, J173, J56, J154 cannot receive ATIS information until 40-50 mi from slc. As a result, many crews are unable to obtain critical WX data, runway information and altimeter settings until they are too close to arrival gates. This is not a problem for arrival traffic from the west. The wasatch mountain range blocks the ATIS transmitter for arrs from the east, thus causing unsafe conditions. Recommendation: have slc move the ATIS transmitter to the top of the mountain range (francis peak). This would solve the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARRS FROM THE E GOING INTO SLC UNABLE READ ATIS UNTIL APPROX 40 MI OUT.

Narrative: ARRS FROM THE E GOING INTO SLC ON J116, J173, J56, J154 CANNOT RECEIVE ATIS INFO UNTIL 40-50 MI FROM SLC. AS A RESULT, MANY CREWS ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN CRITICAL WX DATA, RWY INFO AND ALTIMETER SETTINGS UNTIL THEY ARE TOO CLOSE TO ARR GATES. THIS IS NOT A PROB FOR ARR TFC FROM THE W. THE WASATCH MOUNTAIN RANGE BLOCKS THE ATIS XMITTER FOR ARRS FROM THE E, THUS CAUSING UNSAFE CONDITIONS. RECOMMENDATION: HAVE SLC MOVE THE ATIS XMITTER TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE (FRANCIS PEAK). THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.