Air carrier captain complaint of the computerized ATIS voice.

Attributes
ACN	359963
Time
Date	199702
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : chd
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	359963
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I believe the synthetic voice ATIS is unsatisfactory. It is of poor quality and the blending of syllables is not always complete. This must be extremely difficult for a foreign (non english speaking) crew. There are much superior voice synthesizers available that are high quality and would provide a standardized ATIS. It is dangerous -- please don't entrust our lives to the lowest bidder.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT COMPLAINT OF THE COMPUTERIZED ATIS VOICE.

Narrative: I BELIEVE THE SYNTHETIC VOICE ATIS IS UNSATISFACTORY. IT IS OF POOR QUALITY AND THE BLENDING OF SYLLABLES IS NOT ALWAYS COMPLETE. THIS MUST BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR A FOREIGN (NON ENGLISH SPEAKING) CREW. THERE ARE MUCH SUPERIOR VOICE SYNTHESIZERS AVAILABLE THAT ARE HIGH QUALITY AND WOULD PROVIDE A STANDARDIZED ATIS. IT IS DANGEROUS -- PLEASE DON'T ENTRUST OUR LIVES TO THE LOWEST BIDDER.

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.