WX observations at pne allegedly inaccurate on occasion.

Attributes
ACN	137832
Time
Date	199002
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pne
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 207
ASRS Report	137832
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

This is to report an intermittent problem at northeast philadelphia airport with WX reporting. WX observations are taken by security guards which have had NWS training. That's fine, but some do not take their job seriously, and as a result, observations are sometimes quite inaccurate. A good example occurred one night with an organ transplant team on board. We were cleared for an ILS approach, WX reported 2000' overcast, visibility 7 mi. We broke out of the clouds at 700' AGL and found visibility about 2 mi. Not a problem for an instrument rated pilot, but reporting VFR WX when it is not, especially at night, is setting a VFR pilot up for a continued VFR into IFR conditions type accident. I realize that WX observation is an inexact science, but the refusal to issue special observations with significant changes in WX poses a threat to safety. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the security people that make the WX observations do not issue special observations -- when WX is changeable -- this inevitably leads to different WX encountered on approach from what was observed an hour ago.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX OBSERVATIONS AT PNE ALLEGEDLY INACCURATE ON OCCASION.

Narrative: THIS IS TO REPORT AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AT NE PHILADELPHIA ARPT WITH WX REPORTING. WX OBSERVATIONS ARE TAKEN BY SECURITY GUARDS WHICH HAVE HAD NWS TRAINING. THAT'S FINE, BUT SOME DO NOT TAKE THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY, AND AS A RESULT, OBSERVATIONS ARE SOMETIMES QUITE INACCURATE. A GOOD EXAMPLE OCCURRED ONE NIGHT WITH AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT TEAM ON BOARD. WE WERE CLRED FOR AN ILS APCH, WX REPORTED 2000' OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 7 MI. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 700' AGL AND FOUND VISIBILITY ABOUT 2 MI. NOT A PROBLEM FOR AN INSTRUMENT RATED PLT, BUT REPORTING VFR WX WHEN IT IS NOT, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, IS SETTING A VFR PLT UP FOR A CONTINUED VFR INTO IFR CONDITIONS TYPE ACCIDENT. I REALIZE THAT WX OBSERVATION IS AN INEXACT SCIENCE, BUT THE REFUSAL TO ISSUE SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS WITH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN WX POSES A THREAT TO SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE SECURITY PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE WX OBSERVATIONS DO NOT ISSUE SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS -- WHEN WX IS CHANGEABLE -- THIS INEVITABLY LEADS TO DIFFERENT WX ENCOUNTERED ON APCH FROM WHAT WAS OBSERVED AN HOUR AGO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.