Corp flight crew encounters much lower ceilings and visibility than reported by AWOS and FSS.

Attributes
ACN	229694
Time
Date	199212
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msl
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8450 flight time type : 2610
ASRS Report	229694
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
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 : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The reason for this report is callback #163, the report on WX. Twice in the last 30 days WX reporting at this facility has been erroneous. The last was in december. Ceiling was reported 2000 ft and 3 mi. That was on the sequence reported to me by center, and given to me by FSS when I called them. I was glad that we had briefed the ILS anyway when we passed the initial approach fix still above the clouds. (We should have been below the clouds at 2500 ft according to the report.) actual WX turned out to be 250 ft and 1/2 mi with a decision ht of 200 ft. When we reported the ceiling to the FSS person, they said 'it looked like 2000 ft to them.' we see this attitude and performance very often at airports without towers where there is an FSS on location and no real WX person assigned. We have become so accustomed to it that it never occurred to me to report these instances until reading the report in callback. We need to get reliable equipment in FSS hands so they aren't reporting guesses. Even AWOS goes crazy in the rain. At 2 nearby AWOS locations (kgad and kavo) the report such wildly disparate WX compared to nearby reports that you can discount them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP FLC ENCOUNTERS MUCH LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY THAN RPTED BY AWOS AND FSS.

Narrative: THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS CALLBACK #163, THE RPT ON WX. TWICE IN THE LAST 30 DAYS WX RPTING AT THIS FACILITY HAS BEEN ERRONEOUS. THE LAST WAS IN DECEMBER. CEILING WAS RPTED 2000 FT AND 3 MI. THAT WAS ON THE SEQUENCE RPTED TO ME BY CTR, AND GIVEN TO ME BY FSS WHEN I CALLED THEM. I WAS GLAD THAT WE HAD BRIEFED THE ILS ANYWAY WHEN WE PASSED THE INITIAL APCH FIX STILL ABOVE THE CLOUDS. (WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BELOW THE CLOUDS AT 2500 FT ACCORDING TO THE RPT.) ACTUAL WX TURNED OUT TO BE 250 FT AND 1/2 MI WITH A DECISION HT OF 200 FT. WHEN WE RPTED THE CEILING TO THE FSS PERSON, THEY SAID 'IT LOOKED LIKE 2000 FT TO THEM.' WE SEE THIS ATTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE VERY OFTEN AT ARPTS WITHOUT TWRS WHERE THERE IS AN FSS ON LOCATION AND NO REAL WX PERSON ASSIGNED. WE HAVE BECOME SO ACCUSTOMED TO IT THAT IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO RPT THESE INSTANCES UNTIL READING THE RPT IN CALLBACK. WE NEED TO GET RELIABLE EQUIP IN FSS HANDS SO THEY AREN'T RPTING GUESSES. EVEN AWOS GOES CRAZY IN THE RAIN. AT 2 NEARBY AWOS LOCATIONS (KGAD AND KAVO) THE RPT SUCH WILDLY DISPARATE WX COMPARED TO NEARBY RPTS THAT YOU CAN DISCOUNT THEM.

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.