Narrative:

I fly as a captain for a regional airline here in the pacific northwest. Many times I will leave puw at XX00 en route to lws and then on to sea. Since jul/xx/95 there was an ASOS in lws on frequency 135.57 and still shows on the approach plates for lws. But it has been OTS for about a month. This past week I asked the tower operator when it would be back on line and he told me the maintenance people in boise, identification, told them it may be 9 months to a yr before they get around to it as it is low on their priority list. As the WX in that area is subject to rapid changes with fog, snow, etc, I as a pilot going in and out of lws often late at night or very early in the morning when the tower has either closed or is not open yet, feel that this ASOS service is a very important safety feature. WX reports at that time of day are few and far between anyway, so anything we can get is appreciated. Maybe you could help this system get moved up on the maintenance list somewhat. Callback conversation #1 with contract tower supervisor revealed the following information: contract tower supervisor stated the ASOS is operating normally but the broadcast frequency has been OTS. NWS says they will fix the problem within 1 yr. Tower gets WX, center gets WX, FSS gets WX, just the pilots don't get WX. Callback conversation #2 with contract tower supervisor revealed the following information: received a call from lws airport manager who advised that the frequency for the AWOS had been repaired by boi af personnel. He thanked ASRS for any help we provided and was happy to have learned about our function in the aviation safety system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX RPTING EQUIP ASOS FREQ OTS FOR 4 MONTHS.

Narrative: I FLY AS A CAPT FOR A REGIONAL AIRLINE HERE IN THE PACIFIC NW. MANY TIMES I WILL LEAVE PUW AT XX00 EN RTE TO LWS AND THEN ON TO SEA. SINCE JUL/XX/95 THERE WAS AN ASOS IN LWS ON FREQ 135.57 AND STILL SHOWS ON THE APCH PLATES FOR LWS. BUT IT HAS BEEN OTS FOR ABOUT A MONTH. THIS PAST WK I ASKED THE TWR OPERATOR WHEN IT WOULD BE BACK ON LINE AND HE TOLD ME THE MAINT PEOPLE IN BOISE, ID, TOLD THEM IT MAY BE 9 MONTHS TO A YR BEFORE THEY GET AROUND TO IT AS IT IS LOW ON THEIR PRIORITY LIST. AS THE WX IN THAT AREA IS SUBJECT TO RAPID CHANGES WITH FOG, SNOW, ETC, I AS A PLT GOING IN AND OUT OF LWS OFTEN LATE AT NIGHT OR VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN THE TWR HAS EITHER CLOSED OR IS NOT OPEN YET, FEEL THAT THIS ASOS SVC IS A VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE. WX RPTS AT THAT TIME OF DAY ARE FEW AND FAR BTWN ANYWAY, SO ANYTHING WE CAN GET IS APPRECIATED. MAYBE YOU COULD HELP THIS SYS GET MOVED UP ON THE MAINT LIST SOMEWHAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION #1 WITH CONTRACT TWR SUPVR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CONTRACT TWR SUPVR STATED THE ASOS IS OPERATING NORMALLY BUT THE BROADCAST FREQ HAS BEEN OTS. NWS SAYS THEY WILL FIX THE PROB WITHIN 1 YR. TWR GETS WX, CTR GETS WX, FSS GETS WX, JUST THE PLTS DON'T GET WX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION #2 WITH CONTRACT TWR SUPVR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RECEIVED A CALL FROM LWS ARPT MGR WHO ADVISED THAT THE FREQ FOR THE AWOS HAD BEEN REPAIRED BY BOI AF PERSONNEL. HE THANKED ASRS FOR ANY HELP WE PROVIDED AND WAS HAPPY TO HAVE LEARNED ABOUT OUR FUNCTION IN THE AVIATION SAFETY SYS.

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.