Dispatcher unable to get updated WX information.

Attributes
ACN	168241
Time
Date	199101
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp airport : fwa
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	168241
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Fwa was reporting 2 1/2 freezing light drizzle in their hourly sequence. Called our station personnel because the field conditions were not updated for several hours in our computer. They indicated that was the most recent they had, which (see attached) was clearly outdated. I told him he needed to get the information and put it in the computer. In the meantime, I called the tower and they told me the braking action was poor by a city veh. After this (attached), fwa agents put in the old field conditions again. I called him on the phone. He told me again that that was all the information he had, and he was too busy working the ticket counter to do anything else. I asked him if a supervisor was around. He said there was, but he was out working the flight and would not be in until the flight departed. Later a new field conditions report was entered. This is their job and we should not have to track this information down to find out what is really happening on the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER UNABLE TO GET UPDATED WX INFORMATION.

Narrative: FWA WAS RPTING 2 1/2 FREEZING LIGHT DRIZZLE IN THEIR HOURLY SEQUENCE. CALLED OUR STATION PERSONNEL BECAUSE THE FIELD CONDITIONS WERE NOT UPDATED FOR SEVERAL HRS IN OUR COMPUTER. THEY INDICATED THAT WAS THE MOST RECENT THEY HAD, WHICH (SEE ATTACHED) WAS CLEARLY OUTDATED. I TOLD HIM HE NEEDED TO GET THE INFORMATION AND PUT IT IN THE COMPUTER. IN THE MEANTIME, I CALLED THE TWR AND THEY TOLD ME THE BRAKING ACTION WAS POOR BY A CITY VEH. AFTER THIS (ATTACHED), FWA AGENTS PUT IN THE OLD FIELD CONDITIONS AGAIN. I CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE. HE TOLD ME AGAIN THAT THAT WAS ALL THE INFO HE HAD, AND HE WAS TOO BUSY WORKING THE TICKET COUNTER TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. I ASKED HIM IF A SUPVR WAS AROUND. HE SAID THERE WAS, BUT HE WAS OUT WORKING THE FLT AND WOULD NOT BE IN UNTIL THE FLT DEPARTED. LATER A NEW FIELD CONDITIONS RPT WAS ENTERED. THIS IS THEIR JOB AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TRACK THIS INFO DOWN TO FIND OUT WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING ON THE FIELD.

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.