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Dispatcher asserts his company uses a source of WX information that is flawed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 175632 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199104 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 175632 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
No blame is pointed at anyone, we have a seriously flawed source of basic WX data. In a dispatch office that operates 1400 flts daily this can create serious problems (traps). Enclosed memo to all dispatch desks. Subject special WX. Our primary source of WX is a system called abc flight company purchased from another airline. It gathers data but not in a timely manner. Specials (WX) get lost in the intricate innards of the computer and the dispatcher (yours truely) and the pilot are out on a limb with an imperfect tool to work with and no clear solution. We do not have a battery of teletypes giving us current WX. We do have backup computer systems. Xyz its time with us is not firm, 6 mos or 1 yr. Lmn, we do not use lmn on a regular basis so access is time consuming and at times difficult. We have one other service (WX access) in the office. When things are very busy, access is limited due to many users. The pilot en route with ACARS in his aircraft is led to believe that he can request and get the latest WX through his ACARS, on his screen, just like ground school only fault! Access is only into abc flight. He can get old, not updated, data! A nice trap. The fatal flaw is that when you request WX from world flight it may or may not be current. You do not know unless you x-chk with another program (computer system). The pilot can get ATIS for his destination but his alternate WX may be bogus!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DISPATCHER ASSERTS HIS COMPANY USES A SOURCE OF WX INFORMATION THAT IS FLAWED.
Narrative: NO BLAME IS POINTED AT ANYONE, WE HAVE A SERIOUSLY FLAWED SOURCE OF BASIC WX DATA. IN A DISPATCH OFFICE THAT OPERATES 1400 FLTS DAILY THIS CAN CREATE SERIOUS PROBS (TRAPS). ENCLOSED MEMO TO ALL DISPATCH DESKS. SUBJECT SPECIAL WX. OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF WX IS A SYS CALLED ABC FLT COMPANY PURCHASED FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE. IT GATHERS DATA BUT NOT IN A TIMELY MANNER. SPECIALS (WX) GET LOST IN THE INTRICATE INNARDS OF THE COMPUTER AND THE DISPATCHER (YOURS TRUELY) AND THE PLT ARE OUT ON A LIMB WITH AN IMPERFECT TOOL TO WORK WITH AND NO CLR SOLUTION. WE DO NOT HAVE A BATTERY OF TELETYPES GIVING US CURRENT WX. WE DO HAVE BACKUP COMPUTER SYSTEMS. XYZ ITS TIME WITH US IS NOT FIRM, 6 MOS OR 1 YR. LMN, WE DO NOT USE LMN ON A REGULAR BASIS SO ACCESS IS TIME CONSUMING AND AT TIMES DIFFICULT. WE HAVE ONE OTHER SVC (WX ACCESS) IN THE OFFICE. WHEN THINGS ARE VERY BUSY, ACCESS IS LIMITED DUE TO MANY USERS. THE PLT ENRTE WITH ACARS IN HIS ACFT IS LED TO BELIEVE THAT HE CAN REQUEST AND GET THE LATEST WX THROUGH HIS ACARS, ON HIS SCREEN, JUST LIKE GND SCHOOL ONLY FAULT! ACCESS IS ONLY INTO ABC FLT. HE CAN GET OLD, NOT UPDATED, DATA! A NICE TRAP. THE FATAL FLAW IS THAT WHEN YOU REQUEST WX FROM WORLD FLT IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE CURRENT. YOU DO NOT KNOW UNLESS YOU X-CHK WITH ANOTHER PROGRAM (COMPUTER SYS). THE PLT CAN GET ATIS FOR HIS DEST BUT HIS ALTERNATE WX MAY BE BOGUS!
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.