Narrative:

I was on the preflight position while overhearing a conversation on in-flight. The captain of air carrier X was asking the controller on in-flight what the current WX was. The controller replied 1 SM moderate freezing rain overcast 008. The captain argued it was wrong as they were not getting any precipitation while taxiing to the runway. The captain asked for the WX observer to take an observation. She verified what the ASOS was reporting: 1 SM freezing rain overcast 008. The captain stated again that it was not freezing rain or any precipitation where he was on the field. The in-flight controller said that at the official WX observation site, on the east side of the field, it was moderate freezing rain. Captain said he'd be calling back periodically to check the WX. He called another 2 times in a span of 20-30 mins. After the second callback the freezing rain had lessened to light freezing rain and the captain was satisfied. This situation occurred with 3 separate acrs throughout the morning. It gets to be a problem when the carriers don't believe the ASOS machine, let alone the WX observer. When they keep calling back to make sure we are doing our job borders on harassment. The captain even mentioned having to get deiced again if the freezing rain continued. We as WX observers can't change the WX just to accommodate the air carrier's regulations. If they can't depart in freezing rain, there must be a reason for it. To better understand our jobs, there should be a familiarization program set up for them to visit ATC facilities and see what we all do. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that many people don't like the ASOS WX reporting system. Reporter felt that the ASOS usually provides very accurate data and finds it unnecessary most of the time to augment observations. Occasionally during freezing conditions, a temperature sensor will become frozen and require a tech to go out to warm the equipment. When that happens or is suspected, they revert to the manual method of determining temperature. Also said that tower visibility is usually different than the automatic report because tower is at a much higher level.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR AT A FSS IN DAY WORKING THE INFLT POS WAS QUESTIONED BY AN ACR CAPT REGARDING THE VALIDITY OF THE ASOS WX BEING BROADCAST.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE PREFLT POS WHILE OVERHEARING A CONVERSATION ON INFLT. THE CAPT OF ACR X WAS ASKING THE CTLR ON INFLT WHAT THE CURRENT WX WAS. THE CTLR REPLIED 1 SM MODERATE FREEZING RAIN OVCST 008. THE CAPT ARGUED IT WAS WRONG AS THEY WERE NOT GETTING ANY PRECIP WHILE TAXIING TO THE RWY. THE CAPT ASKED FOR THE WX OBSERVER TO TAKE AN OBSERVATION. SHE VERIFIED WHAT THE ASOS WAS RPTING: 1 SM FREEZING RAIN OVCST 008. THE CAPT STATED AGAIN THAT IT WAS NOT FREEZING RAIN OR ANY PRECIP WHERE HE WAS ON THE FIELD. THE INFLT CTLR SAID THAT AT THE OFFICIAL WX OBSERVATION SITE, ON THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD, IT WAS MODERATE FREEZING RAIN. CAPT SAID HE'D BE CALLING BACK PERIODICALLY TO CHK THE WX. HE CALLED ANOTHER 2 TIMES IN A SPAN OF 20-30 MINS. AFTER THE SECOND CALLBACK THE FREEZING RAIN HAD LESSENED TO LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND THE CAPT WAS SATISFIED. THIS SIT OCCURRED WITH 3 SEPARATE ACRS THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. IT GETS TO BE A PROB WHEN THE CARRIERS DON'T BELIEVE THE ASOS MACHINE, LET ALONE THE WX OBSERVER. WHEN THEY KEEP CALLING BACK TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING OUR JOB BORDERS ON HARASSMENT. THE CAPT EVEN MENTIONED HAVING TO GET DEICED AGAIN IF THE FREEZING RAIN CONTINUED. WE AS WX OBSERVERS CAN'T CHANGE THE WX JUST TO ACCOMMODATE THE ACR'S REGS. IF THEY CAN'T DEPART IN FREEZING RAIN, THERE MUST BE A REASON FOR IT. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR JOBS, THERE SHOULD BE A FAMILIARIZATION PROGRAM SET UP FOR THEM TO VISIT ATC FACILITIES AND SEE WHAT WE ALL DO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE ASOS WX RPTING SYS. RPTR FELT THAT THE ASOS USUALLY PROVIDES VERY ACCURATE DATA AND FINDS IT UNNECESSARY MOST OF THE TIME TO AUGMENT OBSERVATIONS. OCCASIONALLY DURING FREEZING CONDITIONS, A TEMP SENSOR WILL BECOME FROZEN AND REQUIRE A TECH TO GO OUT TO WARM THE EQUIP. WHEN THAT HAPPENS OR IS SUSPECTED, THEY REVERT TO THE MANUAL METHOD OF DETERMINING TEMP. ALSO SAID THAT TWR VISIBILITY IS USUALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE AUTO REPORT BECAUSE TWR IS AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL.

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.