Narrative:

XA00 dp pvd-ord, and the tower was closed. I briefed the first officer on the appropriate procedures to be used under these conditions. We took a little extra time in determining if ASOS, automated WX reports could be used in substitute for our required WX observation. During this 10-20 min delay in figuring out our legality problem as it pertained to the WX reports we received a call from the operations personnel that dispatch was trying to contact us to let us know we were illegal for departure. His finding was that there was no operations personnel available who were qualified to give us TA's as required per 10-8X FM2. The most disturbing thing was that the supervisor was in fact working our flight and did not know that the people who were on duty were not qualified to give us TA's. Had the dispatcher not asked the question if these people were not actually working we would have departed illegally. I can only assume that when we show up for work to fly an off schedule operations that the appropriately trained personnel would be in fact present or are we to question each person that we are required to obtain safety related information from if they are in fact properly trained, ie, dispatch, ATC, WX, other crew members or can we just expect they are qualified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EARLY MORNING DEP, PRIOR TO TWR OPENING, THE ACR HAD NO QUALIFIED OPS PERSONNEL WHO COULD PROVIDE WX AND TA'S. THUS, FLC WAS NOT LEGAL TO DEPART. THE SUPVR WHO WAS WORKING THE FLT DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE PERSONNEL UNDER HIM WERE NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE TA'S.

Narrative: XA00 DP PVD-ORD, AND THE TWR WAS CLOSED. I BRIEFED THE FO ON THE APPROPRIATE PROCS TO BE USED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. WE TOOK A LITTLE EXTRA TIME IN DETERMINING IF ASOS, AUTOMATED WX RPTS COULD BE USED IN SUBSTITUTE FOR OUR REQUIRED WX OBSERVATION. DURING THIS 10-20 MIN DELAY IN FIGURING OUT OUR LEGALITY PROB AS IT PERTAINED TO THE WX RPTS WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE OPS PERSONNEL THAT DISPATCH WAS TRYING TO CONTACT US TO LET US KNOW WE WERE ILLEGAL FOR DEP. HIS FINDING WAS THAT THERE WAS NO OPS PERSONNEL AVAILABLE WHO WERE QUALIFIED TO GIVE US TA'S AS REQUIRED PER 10-8X FM2. THE MOST DISTURBING THING WAS THAT THE SUPVR WAS IN FACT WORKING OUR FLT AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON DUTY WERE NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE US TA'S. HAD THE DISPATCHER NOT ASKED THE QUESTION IF THESE PEOPLE WERE NOT ACTUALLY WORKING WE WOULD HAVE DEPARTED ILLEGALLY. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT WHEN WE SHOW UP FOR WORK TO FLY AN OFF SCHEDULE OPS THAT THE APPROPRIATELY TRAINED PERSONNEL WOULD BE IN FACT PRESENT OR ARE WE TO QUESTION EACH PERSON THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN SAFETY RELATED INFO FROM IF THEY ARE IN FACT PROPERLY TRAINED, IE, DISPATCH, ATC, WX, OTHER CREW MEMBERS OR CAN WE JUST EXPECT THEY ARE QUALIFIED.

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.