Narrative:

ATIS broadcast had been incorrectly recorded to indicate the WX as 6000 broken and a visibility which would have allowed the czn to be above VFR conditions. The actual WX was 600 broken with 3 or more mi visibility. Helicopter (small aircraft Y) operates out of a private heliport 3 mi south of the salem airport within the airport traffic ara and the czn. On the day in question, the helicopter (small aircraft Y) monitored the ATIS (which indicated the czn was VFR) and took off from his heliport inbound for landing at salem airport, calling the tower for instructions as he departed. He was told by the controller the czn was below basic VFR and was issued a SVFR clearance within the czn for landing on the east side of the airport (within the airport boundary). The course of the helicopter would cause him to cross the ILS runway 31 approach course at approximately 200' AGL, 1/4 of a mi from the approach end of runway 31. At the time the helicopter was issued his SVFR clearance, a turbo small transport X was on tower frequency, outside of the final approach fix on the ILS. This placed him inside the czn. Prior to the helicopter crossing the ILS approach course the small transport X reported the final approach fix. The helicopter was then instructed to change course and land on another runway which would keep him from crossing the ILS approach course. The helicopter complied with these instructions and the turbo small transport X eventually was continuously IMC during this incident. No visibility sep or radar sep was applied, and the letter of agreement between salem ATCT and seattle center requires the tower to get a release of the czn from ZSE to operate an aircraft SVFR in the czn. What is really scary about this is that the facility atm was made aware of this incident and loss of sep but no investigation was done. No action whatsoever was taken. The management of the FAA, particularly at this facility, would prefer to believe these incidents are not occurring. This is not the first, nor would I expect the last, incident which will be swept under the carpet and forgotten.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INCORRECT ATIS INFO, SMA DEPARTS HELIPORT VFR WHILE CZN IS IFR. SMA GIVEN SVFR CLRNC AND IN ZONE AT SAME TIME AS SMT ON ILS APCH.

Narrative: ATIS BROADCAST HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY RECORDED TO INDICATE THE WX AS 6000 BKN AND A VISIBILITY WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE CZN TO BE ABOVE VFR CONDITIONS. THE ACTUAL WX WAS 600 BKN WITH 3 OR MORE MI VISIBILITY. HELI (SMA Y) OPERATES OUT OF A PVT HELIPORT 3 MI S OF THE SALEM ARPT WITHIN THE ARPT TFC ARA AND THE CZN. ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, THE HELI (SMA Y) MONITORED THE ATIS (WHICH INDICATED THE CZN WAS VFR) AND TOOK OFF FROM HIS HELIPORT INBND FOR LNDG AT SALEM ARPT, CALLING THE TWR FOR INSTRUCTIONS AS HE DEPARTED. HE WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THE CZN WAS BELOW BASIC VFR AND WAS ISSUED A SVFR CLRNC WITHIN THE CZN FOR LNDG ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT (WITHIN THE ARPT BOUNDARY). THE COURSE OF THE HELI WOULD CAUSE HIM TO CROSS THE ILS RWY 31 APCH COURSE AT APPROX 200' AGL, 1/4 OF A MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 31. AT THE TIME THE HELI WAS ISSUED HIS SVFR CLRNC, A TURBO SMT X WAS ON TWR FREQ, OUTSIDE OF THE FINAL APCH FIX ON THE ILS. THIS PLACED HIM INSIDE THE CZN. PRIOR TO THE HELI XING THE ILS APCH COURSE THE SMT X RPTED THE FINAL APCH FIX. THE HELI WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO CHANGE COURSE AND LAND ON ANOTHER RWY WHICH WOULD KEEP HIM FROM XING THE ILS APCH COURSE. THE HELI COMPLIED WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE TURBO SMT X EVENTUALLY WAS CONTINUOUSLY IMC DURING THIS INCIDENT. NO VIS SEP OR RADAR SEP WAS APPLIED, AND THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT BTWN SALEM ATCT AND SEATTLE CTR REQUIRES THE TWR TO GET A RELEASE OF THE CZN FROM ZSE TO OPERATE AN ACFT SVFR IN THE CZN. WHAT IS REALLY SCARY ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE FAC ATM WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS INCIDENT AND LOSS OF SEP BUT NO INVESTIGATION WAS DONE. NO ACTION WHATSOEVER WAS TAKEN. THE MGMNT OF THE FAA, PARTICULARLY AT THIS FAC, WOULD PREFER TO BELIEVE THESE INCIDENTS ARE NOT OCCURRING. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST, NOR WOULD I EXPECT THE LAST, INCIDENT WHICH WILL BE SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET AND FORGOTTEN.

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.