Narrative:

Freighter aircraft destination jfk. About an hour out, flight crew requested current mu meter readings for runway 4L from dispatcher. I called jfk tower at about XI30 and advised tower that NOTAM and ATIS carried mu meter readings from XB00. Tower advised ATIS had the latest available and suggested I call airport operations. So, I called airport operations. They had only the XB00 mu readings also and gave me another number to call, which I did. The person contacted said that, 'yes! He had the current mu meter reading for runway 4L: 70/45/31.' I said that the readings were the same 7 hours ago. He said, 'yes, that's when the readings were taken.' I complained that it had been snowing for the entire time since XB00 and that the reading couldn't be considered valid. The response was, 'the readings were the latest available.' I advised my flight crew that I was unable to obtain current mu readings and suggested they ask the control tower for current pilot braking action reports. ATIS for jfk was correct in giving latest available mu readings. But at XA30, reading for active runways 4R/left were from XA00-XB00, respectively. Snow had fallen through out the entire time involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER RPTED THAT JFK'S ATIS DID NOT PROVIDE UPDATED MEASUREMENTS FOR THE MU AND THEY HAD TO CALL SEVERAL PERSONS WHO ALL WERE DISSEMINATING THE SAME DATED INFO.

Narrative: FREIGHTER ACFT DEST JFK. ABOUT AN HOUR OUT, FLC REQUESTED CURRENT MU METER READINGS FOR RWY 4L FROM DISPATCHER. I CALLED JFK TWR AT ABOUT XI30 AND ADVISED TWR THAT NOTAM AND ATIS CARRIED MU METER READINGS FROM XB00. TWR ADVISED ATIS HAD THE LATEST AVAILABLE AND SUGGESTED I CALL ARPT OPS. SO, I CALLED ARPT OPS. THEY HAD ONLY THE XB00 MU READINGS ALSO AND GAVE ME ANOTHER NUMBER TO CALL, WHICH I DID. THE PERSON CONTACTED SAID THAT, 'YES! HE HAD THE CURRENT MU METER READING FOR RWY 4L: 70/45/31.' I SAID THAT THE READINGS WERE THE SAME 7 HOURS AGO. HE SAID, 'YES, THAT'S WHEN THE READINGS WERE TAKEN.' I COMPLAINED THAT IT HAD BEEN SNOWING FOR THE ENTIRE TIME SINCE XB00 AND THAT THE READING COULDN'T BE CONSIDERED VALID. THE RESPONSE WAS, 'THE READINGS WERE THE LATEST AVAILABLE.' I ADVISED MY FLC THAT I WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN CURRENT MU READINGS AND SUGGESTED THEY ASK THE CTL TWR FOR CURRENT PLT BRAKING ACTION RPTS. ATIS FOR JFK WAS CORRECT IN GIVING LATEST AVAILABLE MU READINGS. BUT AT XA30, READING FOR ACTIVE RWYS 4R/L WERE FROM XA00-XB00, RESPECTIVELY. SNOW HAD FALLEN THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE TIME INVOLVED.

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.