Automated WX reporting equipment false WX reporting. WX equipment problem.

Attributes
ACN	240535
Time
Date	199304
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : okc
State Reference	OK
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : okc
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	240535
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Okc is one of the first air traffic facilities to install ASOS. It is a sensor that automatically reports WX, replacing human WX observer. It malfunctions on a continuous basis and we have to override the equipment. On apr/xx/93 the equipment was working as designed. It was reporting no clouds below 12000 ft visibility more than 10 mi. That is what the WX was directly over the sensor. These WX readings are as good as the equipment reports but we had to run instrument approachs, because the actual WX in the airport environment was M13 broken 10 plus.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AUTOMATED WX RPTING EQUIP FALSE WX RPTING. WX EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: OKC IS ONE OF THE FIRST AIR TFC FACILITIES TO INSTALL ASOS. IT IS A SENSOR THAT AUTOMATICALLY RPTS WX, REPLACING HUMAN WX OBSERVER. IT MALFUNCTIONS ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS AND WE HAVE TO OVERRIDE THE EQUIP. ON APR/XX/93 THE EQUIP WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED. IT WAS RPTING NO CLOUDS BELOW 12000 FT VISIBILITY MORE THAN 10 MI. THAT IS WHAT THE WX WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE SENSOR. THESE WX READINGS ARE AS GOOD AS THE EQUIP RPTS BUT WE HAD TO RUN INST APCHS, BECAUSE THE ACTUAL WX IN THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT WAS M13 BROKEN 10 PLUS.

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.