Narrative:

This enclosed ATIS is [unacceptable]. ATIS has evolved into a monster from being a useful tool. Without a printer you cannot possibly copy this. Kewr arrival ATIS. Ewr ATIS information. 330 degrees, 15 KTS, 10 SM, scattered 040, scattered 075, 04/M05, A2961. ILS runway 4R approach in use. Departing runway 4L. Runway 4R deiced, broomed liquid chemically treated. Scattered patches wet snow less than 1/4 inch remaining. Runway 4R high speed exits broomed, liquid chemically treated. Scattered patches wet snow less than 1/4 inch remaining, sanded. Runway 4L broomed, liquid chemically treated, patches of 1/4 inch wet snow south 3000 ft and north 1000 ft remaining sanded. Runway 4L high speed exits broomed liquid chemically treated 1/4 inch wet snow remaining sanded. Runway 4 departures, use upper antenna for ATC communications. Ramp procedures in effect. Read back all runway hold short instructions. Use caution for birds and cranes in the vicinity of ewr. Thin covering wet snow on all paved surfaces. All pavement markings obscured by snow. Primary txwys compacted patches of snow and ice up to 2 inches. All secondary txwys patches of compacted snow and ice. Snow berms up to 3 ft adjacent to primary and secondary txwys. Snow piles up to 5 ft tall on ramp areas. Runway 29 long radius exits broomed and chemically treated, 1/4 inch of wet snow remaining, sanded. Runway 11/29 broomed and liquid chemically treated, widely spread patches of 1/4 inch wet snow remaining, 2000 ft east has compacted snow 20 ft along edges. Advise you have ATIS information. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the submitted long ATIS is only an example of what reporter considers excessive, confusing and in some cases not pertinent information that is transmitted by airport towers around the country. He feels fortunate that he has an ACARS system that will bring the information into the aircraft in a printed format. To try to get the information verbally on the radio would, he says, take one pilot out of the loop for too long a time of normal arrival/descent preparation. He notes that on the presented example much verbiage is spent telling how the airport was prepared in a snow condition, but not the result of the preparation through braking action reports. Some of the items on the ATIS could be included in a predep NOTAM. As an example, 'use upper antenna for ATC communications.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE LENGTH OF THE EWR ATIS. SUBMITTED FOR ILLUSTRATION WAS A PRINTED VERSION THAT CONTAINED APPROX 275 WORDS TO DIGEST AND NOTE. THE BROADCAST VERSION, HE SUGGESTS, IS A MAJOR INTRUSION INTO THE COCKPIT AND A DISTR.

Narrative: THIS ENCLOSED ATIS IS [UNACCEPTABLE]. ATIS HAS EVOLVED INTO A MONSTER FROM BEING A USEFUL TOOL. WITHOUT A PRINTER YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY COPY THIS. KEWR ARR ATIS. EWR ATIS INFO. 330 DEGS, 15 KTS, 10 SM, SCATTERED 040, SCATTERED 075, 04/M05, A2961. ILS RWY 4R APCH IN USE. DEPARTING RWY 4L. RWY 4R DEICED, BROOMED LIQUID CHEMICALLY TREATED. SCATTERED PATCHES WET SNOW LESS THAN 1/4 INCH REMAINING. RWY 4R HIGH SPD EXITS BROOMED, LIQUID CHEMICALLY TREATED. SCATTERED PATCHES WET SNOW LESS THAN 1/4 INCH REMAINING, SANDED. RWY 4L BROOMED, LIQUID CHEMICALLY TREATED, PATCHES OF 1/4 INCH WET SNOW S 3000 FT AND N 1000 FT REMAINING SANDED. RWY 4L HIGH SPD EXITS BROOMED LIQUID CHEMICALLY TREATED 1/4 INCH WET SNOW REMAINING SANDED. RWY 4 DEPS, USE UPPER ANTENNA FOR ATC COMS. RAMP PROCS IN EFFECT. READ BACK ALL RWY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. USE CAUTION FOR BIRDS AND CRANES IN THE VICINITY OF EWR. THIN COVERING WET SNOW ON ALL PAVED SURFACES. ALL PAVEMENT MARKINGS OBSCURED BY SNOW. PRIMARY TXWYS COMPACTED PATCHES OF SNOW AND ICE UP TO 2 INCHES. ALL SECONDARY TXWYS PATCHES OF COMPACTED SNOW AND ICE. SNOW BERMS UP TO 3 FT ADJACENT TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TXWYS. SNOW PILES UP TO 5 FT TALL ON RAMP AREAS. RWY 29 LONG RADIUS EXITS BROOMED AND CHEMICALLY TREATED, 1/4 INCH OF WET SNOW REMAINING, SANDED. RWY 11/29 BROOMED AND LIQUID CHEMICALLY TREATED, WIDELY SPREAD PATCHES OF 1/4 INCH WET SNOW REMAINING, 2000 FT E HAS COMPACTED SNOW 20 FT ALONG EDGES. ADVISE YOU HAVE ATIS INFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE SUBMITTED LONG ATIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT RPTR CONSIDERS EXCESSIVE, CONFUSING AND IN SOME CASES NOT PERTINENT INFO THAT IS XMITTED BY ARPT TWRS AROUND THE COUNTRY. HE FEELS FORTUNATE THAT HE HAS AN ACARS SYS THAT WILL BRING THE INFO INTO THE ACFT IN A PRINTED FORMAT. TO TRY TO GET THE INFO VERBALLY ON THE RADIO WOULD, HE SAYS, TAKE ONE PLT OUT OF THE LOOP FOR TOO LONG A TIME OF NORMAL ARR/DSCNT PREPARATION. HE NOTES THAT ON THE PRESENTED EXAMPLE MUCH VERBIAGE IS SPENT TELLING HOW THE ARPT WAS PREPARED IN A SNOW CONDITION, BUT NOT THE RESULT OF THE PREPARATION THROUGH BRAKING ACTION RPTS. SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THE ATIS COULD BE INCLUDED IN A PREDEP NOTAM. AS AN EXAMPLE, 'USE UPPER ANTENNA FOR ATC COMS.'

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.