Narrative:

This is a general comment on the new 'metar' WX reporting format which was adopted in the united states jul/xx/96. I am finding two serious problems with metar. The first is the use of non english related codes to describe WX phenomenon. The example I see most often (this week) is F for fumar meaning smoke. Fumar is spanish. If english is the internationally accepted language of aviation, why are we using spanish? The second and more serious problem is the addition of non aviation related remarks at the end of sequence reports. By including remarks which cannot be deciphered by the pilot and would mean nothing to him if deciphered, we first add to the pilot's frustration level and then teach him to ignore the 'gobbledegook' at the end of the sequence as unimportant. Obviously this latter consequence, although unintended, can turn into a serious safety problem if the remarks happen to include something about tornadoes sighted east of the field. WX reports are a product designed to aid customers, in this case pilots. The current product (metar) is not user friendly. It needs to be cleaned up so it tells the customer what, and only what he needs to know clearly and concisely. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: air carrier DC9 captain did not save a copy of the report referenced, but states that the confusion in the remarks section is a common problem. He repeated his concern that people will stop trying to decipher this part of the report if they keep coming across non aviation related information. It has the potential for something significant getting overlooked at a critical time. The WX package that the reporter currently receives from dispatch includes the terminal forecast, the last 2 hours, the latest WX reported, and anywhere from 1 to 1000 NOTAMS, depending upon the station. Sorting through all of this and gathering the meaning out of it takes time, and the new format creates an even heavier flight crew workload. Reporter is not interested in joining 'the 50 million flies way of life,' but states that if we find that necessary, then we need to work together toward shaping a user friendly system. Analyst gave reporter name and phone number of a pilot's union committee that is currently investigating the issues involving the use of metar and taf.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT SUBMITTED RPT COMMENTING ON THE NEW METAR AND TAF AVIATION WX FORMATS.

Narrative: THIS IS A GENERAL COMMENT ON THE NEW 'METAR' WX RPTING FORMAT WHICH WAS ADOPTED IN THE UNITED STATES JUL/XX/96. I AM FINDING TWO SERIOUS PROBS WITH METAR. THE FIRST IS THE USE OF NON ENGLISH RELATED CODES TO DESCRIBE WX PHENOMENON. THE EXAMPLE I SEE MOST OFTEN (THIS WEEK) IS F FOR FUMAR MEANING SMOKE. FUMAR IS SPANISH. IF ENGLISH IS THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED LANGUAGE OF AVIATION, WHY ARE WE USING SPANISH? THE SECOND AND MORE SERIOUS PROB IS THE ADDITION OF NON AVIATION RELATED REMARKS AT THE END OF SEQUENCE RPTS. BY INCLUDING REMARKS WHICH CANNOT BE DECIPHERED BY THE PLT AND WOULD MEAN NOTHING TO HIM IF DECIPHERED, WE FIRST ADD TO THE PLT'S FRUSTRATION LEVEL AND THEN TEACH HIM TO IGNORE THE 'GOBBLEDEGOOK' AT THE END OF THE SEQUENCE AS UNIMPORTANT. OBVIOUSLY THIS LATTER CONSEQUENCE, ALTHOUGH UNINTENDED, CAN TURN INTO A SERIOUS SAFETY PROB IF THE REMARKS HAPPEN TO INCLUDE SOMETHING ABOUT TORNADOES SIGHTED E OF THE FIELD. WX RPTS ARE A PRODUCT DESIGNED TO AID CUSTOMERS, IN THIS CASE PLTS. THE CURRENT PRODUCT (METAR) IS NOT USER FRIENDLY. IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP SO IT TELLS THE CUSTOMER WHAT, AND ONLY WHAT HE NEEDS TO KNOW CLRLY AND CONCISELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACR DC9 CAPT DID NOT SAVE A COPY OF THE RPT REFED, BUT STATES THAT THE CONFUSION IN THE REMARKS SECTION IS A COMMON PROB. HE REPEATED HIS CONCERN THAT PEOPLE WILL STOP TRYING TO DECIPHER THIS PART OF THE RPT IF THEY KEEP COMING ACROSS NON AVIATION RELATED INFO. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT GETTING OVERLOOKED AT A CRITICAL TIME. THE WX PACKAGE THAT THE RPTR CURRENTLY RECEIVES FROM DISPATCH INCLUDES THE TERMINAL FORECAST, THE LAST 2 HRS, THE LATEST WX RPTED, AND ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 1000 NOTAMS, DEPENDING UPON THE STATION. SORTING THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND GATHERING THE MEANING OUT OF IT TAKES TIME, AND THE NEW FORMAT CREATES AN EVEN HEAVIER FLC WORKLOAD. RPTR IS NOT INTERESTED IN JOINING 'THE 50 MILLION FLIES WAY OF LIFE,' BUT STATES THAT IF WE FIND THAT NECESSARY, THEN WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARD SHAPING A USER FRIENDLY SYS. ANALYST GAVE RPTR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER OF A PLT'S UNION COMMITTEE THAT IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THE ISSUES INVOLVING THE USE OF METAR AND TAF.

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.