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ATCT local controller recognizes ASOS-2 equipment limitations as he tries to manually update WX report and focus on control responsibilities.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 408280 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bdl |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 408280 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Summer WX, hot, humid conditions, fast moving cold front approaching, generating a line of severe thunderstorms, approaching from the west. This facility is an ASOS-2 type WX reporting station. The equipment never recognized the nearby storms and did not report them until almost overhead. As the observer, I attempted to manually override the system to reflect current conditions. Even after doing this, the system still was so slow, we were still reporting VFR conditions while the storm raged outside. Aside from attempting to stay with the WX, I am still assigned ATC duties and updating the WX is my lowest priority of duties. Staffing and equipment limitations together combined to mislead users as to the up to date WX. Approach control uses this WX to update arriving aircraft. Bottom line, if you are using WX from an automated station, when the WX is rapidly changing, don't believe what is being reported.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATCT LCL CTLR RECOGNIZES ASOS-2 EQUIP LIMITATIONS AS HE TRIES TO MANUALLY UPDATE WX RPT AND FOCUS ON CTL RESPONSIBILITIES.
Narrative: SUMMER WX, HOT, HUMID CONDITIONS, FAST MOVING COLD FRONT APCHING, GENERATING A LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS, APCHING FROM THE W. THIS FACILITY IS AN ASOS-2 TYPE WX RPTING STATION. THE EQUIP NEVER RECOGNIZED THE NEARBY STORMS AND DID NOT RPT THEM UNTIL ALMOST OVERHEAD. AS THE OBSERVER, I ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY OVERRIDE THE SYS TO REFLECT CURRENT CONDITIONS. EVEN AFTER DOING THIS, THE SYS STILL WAS SO SLOW, WE WERE STILL RPTING VFR CONDITIONS WHILE THE STORM RAGED OUTSIDE. ASIDE FROM ATTEMPTING TO STAY WITH THE WX, I AM STILL ASSIGNED ATC DUTIES AND UPDATING THE WX IS MY LOWEST PRIORITY OF DUTIES. STAFFING AND EQUIP LIMITATIONS TOGETHER COMBINED TO MISLEAD USERS AS TO THE UP TO DATE WX. APCH CTL USES THIS WX TO UPDATE ARRIVING ACFT. BOTTOM LINE, IF YOU ARE USING WX FROM AN AUTOMATED STATION, WHEN THE WX IS RAPIDLY CHANGING, DON'T BELIEVE WHAT IS BEING RPTED.
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.