Narrative:

We arrived at hrl at xa am; the tower closes at midnight. The procedures for arrival at hrl after midnight (tower closed) are very specific and spelled out in our company page 10-5. We had already been on duty close to 14 hours and had declared an emergency out of iah on the previous leg and diverted back into iah for smoke in the cockpit. Due to these factors and the late hour, we went over the requirements on page 10-5 and the approach, in detail, while en route to hrl. The F/east contacted our company for WX and airport advisories prior to the approach, as soon as we were in radio range. These 2 items are specific FAA requirements and are provided by a trained company employee when the tower is closed. In addition, we had received WX from ZHU prior to the approach. We made the approach and landed. We made the required calls in the blind on 119.3 and monitored 129.32 inbound. 2 days later we were accused by the hrl general manager of landing west/O company relayed WX. I responded that we had received WX from the company. His response was that the individual who relayed the WX to us was not one of the people trained and certified (I imagine) to do this. We followed procedures as required by the FAA and outlined by the company. I cannot be required to authenticate the qualifications of the person on company frequency that relays the WX. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter conversation reveals that the agent who gave WX information should have phoned the qualified company WX observer to come to the field to make the WX observation. Instead he made his own judgement and advised the reporter. Reporter told all he knew to chief pilot who is doing the follow up on the incident. It seems that this really has nothing to do with the crew, but is a problem between the airport general manager and the agent involved. They seem to have a conflict and the crew is caught in the middle of their dispute. Chief pilot does not see this as a crew violation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE NIGHT, EARLY MORNING FLT. TWR CLOSED. COMPANY PROVIDES WX OBSERVER TO ASSURE PROPER MINIMUMS. AGENT WHO GAVE WX WAS NOT COMPANY QUALIFIED. ARPT MANAGER CLAIMS CREW LANDED WITHOUT COMPANY RELAYED WX INFORMATION.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT HRL AT XA AM; THE TWR CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT. THE PROCS FOR ARR AT HRL AFTER MIDNIGHT (TWR CLOSED) ARE VERY SPECIFIC AND SPELLED OUT IN OUR COMPANY PAGE 10-5. WE HAD ALREADY BEEN ON DUTY CLOSE TO 14 HRS AND HAD DECLARED AN EMER OUT OF IAH ON THE PREVIOUS LEG AND DIVERTED BACK INTO IAH FOR SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. DUE TO THESE FACTORS AND THE LATE HR, WE WENT OVER THE REQUIREMENTS ON PAGE 10-5 AND THE APCH, IN DETAIL, WHILE ENRTE TO HRL. THE F/E CONTACTED OUR COMPANY FOR WX AND ARPT ADVISORIES PRIOR TO THE APCH, AS SOON AS WE WERE IN RADIO RANGE. THESE 2 ITEMS ARE SPECIFIC FAA REQUIREMENTS AND ARE PROVIDED BY A TRAINED COMPANY EMPLOYEE WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED. IN ADDITION, WE HAD RECEIVED WX FROM ZHU PRIOR TO THE APCH. WE MADE THE APCH AND LANDED. WE MADE THE REQUIRED CALLS IN THE BLIND ON 119.3 AND MONITORED 129.32 INBND. 2 DAYS LATER WE WERE ACCUSED BY THE HRL GENERAL MGR OF LNDG W/O COMPANY RELAYED WX. I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD RECEIVED WX FROM THE COMPANY. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO RELAYED THE WX TO US WAS NOT ONE OF THE PEOPLE TRAINED AND CERTIFIED (I IMAGINE) TO DO THIS. WE FOLLOWED PROCS AS REQUIRED BY THE FAA AND OUTLINED BY THE COMPANY. I CANNOT BE REQUIRED TO AUTHENTICATE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PERSON ON COMPANY FREQ THAT RELAYS THE WX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CONVERSATION REVEALS THAT THE AGENT WHO GAVE WX INFO SHOULD HAVE PHONED THE QUALIFIED COMPANY WX OBSERVER TO COME TO THE FIELD TO MAKE THE WX OBSERVATION. INSTEAD HE MADE HIS OWN JUDGEMENT AND ADVISED THE RPTR. RPTR TOLD ALL HE KNEW TO CHIEF PLT WHO IS DOING THE FOLLOW UP ON THE INCIDENT. IT SEEMS THAT THIS REALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CREW, BUT IS A PROB BTWN THE ARPT GENERAL MGR AND THE AGENT INVOLVED. THEY SEEM TO HAVE A CONFLICT AND THE CREW IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR DISPUTE. CHIEF PLT DOES NOT SEE THIS AS A CREW VIOLATION.

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.