ATC specialist claims that the ASOS equipment is reporting inaccurate WX conditions.

Attributes
ACN	342474
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fwa
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	342474
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

ASOS at fwa was reporting the sky as clear, visibility 10 mi. PIREPS indicated that we had a broken layer at 5000 ft with a high thin layer at about 20000 ft. ASOS at fwa is not accurate the majority of the time. FAA regulations require that controllers issue the ASOS WX, regardless for what the actual WX is, thus giving pilots incorrect WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC SPECIALIST CLAIMS THAT THE ASOS EQUIP IS RPTING INACCURATE WX CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ASOS AT FWA WAS RPTING THE SKY AS CLR, VISIBILITY 10 MI. PIREPS INDICATED THAT WE HAD A BROKEN LAYER AT 5000 FT WITH A HIGH THIN LAYER AT ABOUT 20000 FT. ASOS AT FWA IS NOT ACCURATE THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. FAA REGS REQUIRE THAT CTLRS ISSUE THE ASOS WX, REGARDLESS FOR WHAT THE ACTUAL WX IS, THUS GIVING PLTS INCORRECT WX.

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.