Dispatcher of air carrier complains about the lack of proper airport WX dissemination.

Attributes
ACN	227998
Time
Date	199212
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vdz
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sln
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	227998
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Valdez airport is located at the end of valdez arm, a waterway in south central ak. Local WX observations are taken by competing airlines. (That's another story). If a pilot, not familiar with the area, was planning to go anc to vdz, and planning the valdez VOR-a approach, this will take him through the entrance of the valdez arm. If he requests vdz WX on the aftn WX commuter, vdz airport WX may be far above required mins. But the narrows (valdez arm entrance) could be fogged in. There is a tv camera set up in the narrows to show the visibility. However, that information doesn't show on the vdz WX. It is shown on the cordova WX (cdv). Pilots not aware of this may think the vdz airport WX report is good enough, but they also need the cdv WX. The vdz narrows report needs to be put on the vdz WX report. This is not an area that you want to be flying in without the most current WX information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER OF ACR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE LACK OF PROPER ARPT WX DISSEMINATION.

Narrative: VALDEZ ARPT IS LOCATED AT THE END OF VALDEZ ARM, A WATERWAY IN S CENTRAL AK. LCL WX OBSERVATIONS ARE TAKEN BY COMPETING AIRLINES. (THAT'S ANOTHER STORY). IF A PLT, NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, WAS PLANNING TO GO ANC TO VDZ, AND PLANNING THE VALDEZ VOR-A APCH, THIS WILL TAKE HIM THROUGH THE ENTRANCE OF THE VALDEZ ARM. IF HE REQUESTS VDZ WX ON THE AFTN WX COMMUTER, VDZ ARPT WX MAY BE FAR ABOVE REQUIRED MINS. BUT THE NARROWS (VALDEZ ARM ENTRANCE) COULD BE FOGGED IN. THERE IS A TV CAMERA SET UP IN THE NARROWS TO SHOW THE VISIBILITY. HOWEVER, THAT INFO DOESN'T SHOW ON THE VDZ WX. IT IS SHOWN ON THE CORDOVA WX (CDV). PLTS NOT AWARE OF THIS MAY THINK THE VDZ ARPT WX RPT IS GOOD ENOUGH, BUT THEY ALSO NEED THE CDV WX. THE VDZ NARROWS RPT NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THE VDZ WX RPT. THIS IS NOT AN AREA THAT YOU WANT TO BE FLYING IN WITHOUT THE MOST CURRENT WX INFO.

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.