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Tower controller claims that the airport WX reporting equipment was removed and replaced by ASOS. After the removal, the ASOS equipment failed and controllers had difficulty determining cloud ht.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 378366 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mwh |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 378366 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On aug/xa/97, the laser beam ceilometer and sensor were removed from our facility, a lawrs tower/TRACON. On aug/xc/97, at XX45Z the monitor for the ASOS became unreadable with computer codes/formats, etc. I called the 800 phone number and was informed a ticket would be opened. The ASOS was logged OTS and a manual observation was taken. The WX was VFR with ceilings around 5000 ft, however thunderstorm activity is forecasted. The WX observer has no way of accurately determining ceiling or cloud ht because of the equipment outage, and removal of the back-up equipment. We cannot find out who approved the removal of the cbc, and why it was removed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TWR CTLR CLAIMS THAT THE ARPT WX RPTING EQUIP WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED BY ASOS. AFTER THE REMOVAL, THE ASOS EQUIP FAILED AND CTLRS HAD DIFFICULTY DETERMINING CLOUD HT.
Narrative: ON AUG/XA/97, THE LASER BEAM CEILOMETER AND SENSOR WERE REMOVED FROM OUR FACILITY, A LAWRS TWR/TRACON. ON AUG/XC/97, AT XX45Z THE MONITOR FOR THE ASOS BECAME UNREADABLE WITH COMPUTER CODES/FORMATS, ETC. I CALLED THE 800 PHONE NUMBER AND WAS INFORMED A TICKET WOULD BE OPENED. THE ASOS WAS LOGGED OTS AND A MANUAL OBSERVATION WAS TAKEN. THE WX WAS VFR WITH CEILINGS AROUND 5000 FT, HOWEVER TSTM ACTIVITY IS FORECASTED. THE WX OBSERVER HAS NO WAY OF ACCURATELY DETERMINING CEILING OR CLOUD HT BECAUSE OF THE EQUIP OUTAGE, AND REMOVAL OF THE BACK-UP EQUIP. WE CANNOT FIND OUT WHO APPROVED THE REMOVAL OF THE CBC, AND WHY IT WAS REMOVED.
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.