Narrative:

As our flight approached bdr we called in range and requested current airport WX. Bdr tower closes at night and WX is provided by a competing airline employed WX observer after this time. Normally obtaining WX from air carrier is very difficult due possibly to competition between them and our company. In the past our operations people would obtain the WX from them and relay it to the pilots. (They had a better relationship with air carrier than our pilots.) after landing was made at bdr I found out our station agent made no attempt to contact the air carrier WX observer. A WX report was fabricated by our unqualified station agent and relayed to us. I was suspicious of this WX report because the altimeter setting was so far off from our last setting. Islip was reported as 30.25 and bridgeport reported 30.08. At this point I asked the first officer to verify the altimeter setting. After a long delay bdr personnel came back with the same altimeter setting. This led me to believe that the WX was obtained and verified through proper channels. Approach and landing was made west/O any problems as the error was in our favor. (The approach can be made with islip altimeter setting and adherence to higher minimums.) essentially part 135 regulations and our operations manual were violated due to not having current WX (less than 1 hour old). This was not our fault because we attempted to obtain current WX, but were given WX from an unofficial WX source. I believe this problem could be avoided by stressing the importance of official WX to our ground personnel, and by verifying that the WX we obtain is from an official source.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER APCHING BDR SUSPECTS THAT HIS COMPANY GND EMPLOYEE OBTAINED WX REPORT FORM AN UNOFFICIAL SOURCE.

Narrative: AS OUR FLT APCHED BDR WE CALLED IN RANGE AND REQUESTED CURRENT ARPT WX. BDR TWR CLOSES AT NIGHT AND WX IS PROVIDED BY A COMPETING AIRLINE EMPLOYED WX OBSERVER AFTER THIS TIME. NORMALLY OBTAINING WX FROM ACR IS VERY DIFFICULT DUE POSSIBLY TO COMPETITION BTWN THEM AND OUR COMPANY. IN THE PAST OUR OPS PEOPLE WOULD OBTAIN THE WX FROM THEM AND RELAY IT TO THE PLTS. (THEY HAD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH ACR THAN OUR PLTS.) AFTER LNDG WAS MADE AT BDR I FOUND OUT OUR STATION AGENT MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE ACR WX OBSERVER. A WX RPT WAS FABRICATED BY OUR UNQUALIFIED STATION AGENT AND RELAYED TO US. I WAS SUSPICIOUS OF THIS WX RPT BECAUSE THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS SO FAR OFF FROM OUR LAST SETTING. ISLIP WAS RPTED AS 30.25 AND BRIDGEPORT RPTED 30.08. AT THIS POINT I ASKED THE F/O TO VERIFY THE ALTIMETER SETTING. AFTER A LONG DELAY BDR PERSONNEL CAME BACK WITH THE SAME ALTIMETER SETTING. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE WX WAS OBTAINED AND VERIFIED THROUGH PROPER CHANNELS. APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE W/O ANY PROBS AS THE ERROR WAS IN OUR FAVOR. (THE APCH CAN BE MADE WITH ISLIP ALTIMETER SETTING AND ADHERENCE TO HIGHER MINIMUMS.) ESSENTIALLY PART 135 REGS AND OUR OPS MANUAL WERE VIOLATED DUE TO NOT HAVING CURRENT WX (LESS THAN 1 HR OLD). THIS WAS NOT OUR FAULT BECAUSE WE ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN CURRENT WX, BUT WERE GIVEN WX FROM AN UNOFFICIAL WX SOURCE. I BELIEVE THIS PROB COULD BE AVOIDED BY STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF OFFICIAL WX TO OUR GND PERSONNEL, AND BY VERIFYING THAT THE WX WE OBTAIN IS FROM AN OFFICIAL SOURCE.

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.