 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Reporter claims windshear equipment at buf does not give accurate readings because it is amongst surrounding vegetation and buildings.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 497557 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200101 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : buf.tower |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 21 controller supervisory : 13 |
| ASRS Report | 497557 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unreliable wind shear equip other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
Narrative:
PIREPS indicate windshear on final and on departure. Speed fluctuations of up to 20 KTS gain or loss. The LLWAS boundary sensors indicate wind speed of an average of 10 KTS. Even though sustained wind never drops below 20 KTS with 30 KT gusts, all of the outer sensors are affected by surrounding vegetation and buildings. This makes the current equipment unreliable. Critical windshear information is not accurate. We have been slated for upgrade of equipment, but due to monetary considerations we were taken off the list. The location of our facility and associated WX makes the occurrence of windshear higher than most facilities. This upgrade to a new system should be a top priority.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR CLAIMS WINDSHEAR EQUIP AT BUF DOES NOT GIVE ACCURATE READINGS BECAUSE IT IS AMONGST SURROUNDING VEGETATION AND BUILDINGS.
Narrative: PIREPS INDICATE WINDSHEAR ON FINAL AND ON DEP. SPD FLUCTUATIONS OF UP TO 20 KTS GAIN OR LOSS. THE LLWAS BOUNDARY SENSORS INDICATE WIND SPD OF AN AVERAGE OF 10 KTS. EVEN THOUGH SUSTAINED WIND NEVER DROPS BELOW 20 KTS WITH 30 KT GUSTS, ALL OF THE OUTER SENSORS ARE AFFECTED BY SURROUNDING VEGETATION AND BUILDINGS. THIS MAKES THE CURRENT EQUIP UNRELIABLE. CRITICAL WINDSHEAR INFO IS NOT ACCURATE. WE HAVE BEEN SLATED FOR UPGRADE OF EQUIP, BUT DUE TO MONETARY CONSIDERATIONS WE WERE TAKEN OFF THE LIST. THE LOCATION OF OUR FACILITY AND ASSOCIATED WX MAKES THE OCCURRENCE OF WINDSHEAR HIGHER THAN MOST FACILITIES. THIS UPGRADE TO A NEW SYS SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY.
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.