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An air carrier crew states that there is a continuing problem with reception of the ATIS at san, probably because of the high terrain east of the airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 225810 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199211 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : isan airport : san |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute 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 : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 110 |
| ASRS Report | 225810 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Operating flight dtw-san. An large transport and first officer flying. One of my duties as the PNF was to copy the ATIS. The altimeter, wind, temperature, approach type, transitions and MDA must then be entered into the FMGC. On this flight, we were in the area of shadi and descending in the mid FL200's when I first tuned the ATIS. I could only hear brief pieces of it or long periods of nothing at all. The local altimeter was provided by center in descent clrncs. It was not until we were approaching swatt that I was able to hear the entire ATIS and confirm the approach in use. (Runway 27 is normal, but because of mild santa anita conditions, runway 9 was also a distinct possibility.) because we assumed and set up for the localizer 27 approach and nothing else was wrong, the conclusion was successful. Safety was compromised though, because I was 'out of the loop' for so much time trying to pick up the ATIS. The first officer received 2 or 3 descent clrncs I never heard. In hindsight, I realize I should have given up and just requested the ATIS information from ATC. I tried to be too good a PNF in 1 area and let another go. At the heart of all this is the poor ATIS reception. The first officer who has much more experience on this STAR says it happens all the time because the mountains block the signal at our descent angle. I think the fix is to transmit the ATIS from a mountain top. How about the julian VOR voice? It's been done other places. Another factor could be the VHF squelch level on the large transport. It cannot be adjusted or defeated by pilots. I flew this STAR again. We got the ATIS much sooner, but it was still cutting out. We may have been a little higher or the squelch was different or radio propagation was better.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR CREW STATES THAT THERE IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH RECEPTION OF THE ATIS AT SAN, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE HIGH TERRAIN E OF THE ARPT.
Narrative: OPERATING FLT DTW-SAN. AN LGT AND FO FLYING. ONE OF MY DUTIES AS THE PNF WAS TO COPY THE ATIS. THE ALTIMETER, WIND, TEMP, APCH TYPE, TRANSITIONS AND MDA MUST THEN BE ENTERED INTO THE FMGC. ON THIS FLT, WE WERE IN THE AREA OF SHADI AND DSNDING IN THE MID FL200'S WHEN I FIRST TUNED THE ATIS. I COULD ONLY HEAR BRIEF PIECES OF IT OR LONG PERIODS OF NOTHING AT ALL. THE LCL ALTIMETER WAS PROVIDED BY CTR IN DSCNT CLRNCS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WERE APCHING SWATT THAT I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THE ENTIRE ATIS AND CONFIRM THE APCH IN USE. (RWY 27 IS NORMAL, BUT BECAUSE OF MILD SANTA ANITA CONDITIONS, RWY 9 WAS ALSO A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY.) BECAUSE WE ASSUMED AND SET UP FOR THE LOC 27 APCH AND NOTHING ELSE WAS WRONG, THE CONCLUSION WAS SUCCESSFUL. SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED THOUGH, BECAUSE I WAS 'OUT OF THE LOOP' FOR SO MUCH TIME TRYING TO PICK UP THE ATIS. THE FO RECEIVED 2 OR 3 DSCNT CLRNCS I NEVER HEARD. IN HINDSIGHT, I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN UP AND JUST REQUESTED THE ATIS INFO FROM ATC. I TRIED TO BE TOO GOOD A PNF IN 1 AREA AND LET ANOTHER GO. AT THE HEART OF ALL THIS IS THE POOR ATIS RECEPTION. THE FO WHO HAS MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE ON THIS STAR SAYS IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THE MOUNTAINS BLOCK THE SIGNAL AT OUR DSCNT ANGLE. I THINK THE FIX IS TO XMIT THE ATIS FROM A MOUNTAIN TOP. HOW ABOUT THE JULIAN VOR VOICE? IT'S BEEN DONE OTHER PLACES. ANOTHER FACTOR COULD BE THE VHF SQUELCH LEVEL ON THE LGT. IT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED OR DEFEATED BY PLTS. I FLEW THIS STAR AGAIN. WE GOT THE ATIS MUCH SOONER, BUT IT WAS STILL CUTTING OUT. WE MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE HIGHER OR THE SQUELCH WAS DIFFERENT OR RADIO PROPAGATION WAS BETTER.
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.