Narrative:

A recent change made by the state requires that they furnish runway friction values (mu readings) that are above 40 as 40 when they provide air traffic the information. According to faah 7110.65 3-3-5 D.1.; 'furnish information as received from the airport management to pilots on the ATIS at locations where friction measuring devices; such as mu-meter; saab friction tester (sft); and skidometer are in use only when the mu values are 40 or less. Use the runway followed by the mu number for each of the 3 runway segments; time of report; and a word describing the cause of the runway friction problem. Do not issue mu values when all 3 segments of the runway have values reported greater than 40.' as such; the change by the state requires our ATIS broadcast to constantly provide mu information regardless of whether or not the actual mu values are above the threshold requiring their dissemination. This results in longer ATIS broadcasts that are containing information not necessarily required. Additionally; we are desensitizing the pilots to hearing mu values on the ATIS; which could result in less than appropriate attention being paid to decreases in the values as the pilots are accustomed to constantly hearing them on the ATIS broadcast (instead of that information only being in the ATIS when it bears relevance to the friction condition of the runway).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAI CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING STATE'S NEW POLICY OF RWY FRICTION REPORTING; CLAIMING IT CLUTTERS ATIS INFO AND IS NOT 7110.65 COMPLIANT.

Narrative: A RECENT CHANGE MADE BY THE STATE REQUIRES THAT THEY FURNISH RWY FRICTION VALUES (MU READINGS) THAT ARE ABOVE 40 AS 40 WHEN THEY PROVIDE AIR TFC THE INFO. ACCORDING TO FAAH 7110.65 3-3-5 D.1.; 'FURNISH INFO AS RECEIVED FROM THE ARPT MGMNT TO PLTS ON THE ATIS AT LOCATIONS WHERE FRICTION MEASURING DEVICES; SUCH AS MU-METER; SAAB FRICTION TESTER (SFT); AND SKIDOMETER ARE IN USE ONLY WHEN THE MU VALUES ARE 40 OR LESS. USE THE RWY FOLLOWED BY THE MU NUMBER FOR EACH OF THE 3 RWY SEGMENTS; TIME OF RPT; AND A WORD DESCRIBING THE CAUSE OF THE RWY FRICTION PROB. DO NOT ISSUE MU VALUES WHEN ALL 3 SEGMENTS OF THE RWY HAVE VALUES RPTED GREATER THAN 40.' AS SUCH; THE CHANGE BY THE STATE REQUIRES OUR ATIS BROADCAST TO CONSTANTLY PROVIDE MU INFO REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ACTUAL MU VALUES ARE ABOVE THE THRESHOLD REQUIRING THEIR DISSEMINATION. THIS RESULTS IN LONGER ATIS BROADCASTS THAT ARE CONTAINING INFO NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRED. ADDITIONALLY; WE ARE DESENSITIZING THE PLTS TO HEARING MU VALUES ON THE ATIS; WHICH COULD RESULT IN LESS THAN APPROPRIATE ATTN BEING PAID TO DECREASES IN THE VALUES AS THE PLTS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO CONSTANTLY HEARING THEM ON THE ATIS BROADCAST (INSTEAD OF THAT INFO ONLY BEING IN THE ATIS WHEN IT BEARS RELEVANCE TO THE FRICTION CONDITION OF THE RWY).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.