Captain of air carrier medium large transport aircraft complained about the length of an ATIS report...

Attributes
ACN	227726
Time
Date	199212
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	227726
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
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Before beginning descent, tuned in sjc ATIS, received information. ATIS was excessively long. Got the essentials and landed uneventfully at PM43Z. After reaching the gate, tuned ATIS again. It had changed. Sitting on the ground it took me approximately 10 mins to copy ATIS, listening to it repeatedly. I finally got it all down and then timed it -- 1 min, 5 seconds for the whole thing. I fly a 2 pilot aircraft and it is ridiculous to expect one of us to listen to such a long, detailed ATIS. Airborne it is impossible to spend the necessary time away from flying the aircraft and monitoring ATC. I suggest that sjc tower personnel be informed that they degrade, not enhance, safety by such verbal excess. Make ATIS concise and usable! Additionally, if sjc tower thinks it essential to state information such as 'advise ground control if you don't have your takeoff numbers' then it needs to record separate arrival and departure ATIS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF AN ATIS RPT.

Narrative: BEFORE BEGINNING DSCNT, TUNED IN SJC ATIS, RECEIVED INFO. ATIS WAS EXCESSIVELY LONG. GOT THE ESSENTIALS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT PM43Z. AFTER REACHING THE GATE, TUNED ATIS AGAIN. IT HAD CHANGED. SITTING ON THE GND IT TOOK ME APPROX 10 MINS TO COPY ATIS, LISTENING TO IT REPEATEDLY. I FINALLY GOT IT ALL DOWN AND THEN TIMED IT -- 1 MIN, 5 SECONDS FOR THE WHOLE THING. I FLY A 2 PLT ACFT AND IT IS RIDICULOUS TO EXPECT ONE OF US TO LISTEN TO SUCH A LONG, DETAILED ATIS. AIRBORNE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEND THE NECESSARY TIME AWAY FROM FLYING THE ACFT AND MONITORING ATC. I SUGGEST THAT SJC TWR PERSONNEL BE INFORMED THAT THEY DEGRADE, NOT ENHANCE, SAFETY BY SUCH VERBAL EXCESS. MAKE ATIS CONCISE AND USABLE! ADDITIONALLY, IF SJC TWR THINKS IT ESSENTIAL TO STATE INFO SUCH AS 'ADVISE GND CTL IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR TKOF NUMBERS' THEN IT NEEDS TO RECORD SEPARATE ARR AND DEP ATIS.

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.