Air carrier captain misreads radar summary.

Attributes
ACN	211285
Time
Date	199205
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	211285
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were coming from west coast to texas all day we had seen radar summaries showing WX in central texas and west texas areas. We were on our last leg when I got a radar summary suddenly showing no WX at all in west texas. All the previous WX had apparently dissipated as the sun was setting or so we thought. I commented that I could not believe the latest radar summary. Dispatch had our fuel slashed to a min. So 'not believing' the radar summary I took extra fuel for our last leg from elp to sat, climbing out of elp we could see the thunderstorms still quite alive and blocking our route. We had to deviation quite far from our planned course en route to sat and I was glad I had taken extra fuel. On descent I thought again about the radar summary that showed 'no echos' in west texas I could not understand how the trw's we deviated around could not show up on the summary! Then I noticed that on my copy of the radar summary it did not say 'northeast' (no echoes) but rather na (not available) for the west texas area! The 'na' had fooled both myself and dispatch! I strongly suggest that the radar summaries be changed so that any area with radar 'not available' be noted by a question mark (?) or some other symbol that does not so closely resemble the northeast of 'no echoes!'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT MISREADS RADAR SUMMARY.

Narrative: WE WERE COMING FROM WEST COAST TO TEXAS ALL DAY WE HAD SEEN RADAR SUMMARIES SHOWING WX IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND W TEXAS AREAS. WE WERE ON OUR LAST LEG WHEN I GOT A RADAR SUMMARY SUDDENLY SHOWING NO WX AT ALL IN W TEXAS. ALL THE PREVIOUS WX HAD APPARENTLY DISSIPATED AS THE SUN WAS SETTING OR SO WE THOUGHT. I COMMENTED THAT I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE LATEST RADAR SUMMARY. DISPATCH HAD OUR FUEL SLASHED TO A MIN. SO 'NOT BELIEVING' THE RADAR SUMMARY I TOOK EXTRA FUEL FOR OUR LAST LEG FROM ELP TO SAT, CLBING OUT OF ELP WE COULD SEE THE TSTMS STILL QUITE ALIVE AND BLOCKING OUR RTE. WE HAD TO DEV QUITE FAR FROM OUR PLANNED COURSE ENRTE TO SAT AND I WAS GLAD I HAD TAKEN EXTRA FUEL. ON DSCNT I THOUGHT AGAIN ABOUT THE RADAR SUMMARY THAT SHOWED 'NO ECHOS' IN W TEXAS I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE TRW'S WE DEVIATED AROUND COULD NOT SHOW UP ON THE SUMMARY! THEN I NOTICED THAT ON MY COPY OF THE RADAR SUMMARY IT DID NOT SAY 'NE' (NO ECHOES) BUT RATHER NA (NOT AVAILABLE) FOR THE W TEXAS AREA! THE 'NA' HAD FOOLED BOTH MYSELF AND DISPATCH! I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THE RADAR SUMMARIES BE CHANGED SO THAT ANY AREA WITH RADAR 'NOT AVAILABLE' BE NOTED BY A QUESTION MARK (?) OR SOME OTHER SYMBOL THAT DOES NOT SO CLOSELY RESEMBLE THE NE OF 'NO ECHOES!'

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.