Narrative:

I was captain on an air carrier flight arriving in atl on aug/thu/94 at OX15 am. The arrival ATIS 'bravo' reported '15000 scattered, 25000 scattered, 3 mi fog.' I, therefore, expected WX conditions sufficient enough to fly a visual approach to runway 9R. As we descended to 3500 ft MSL, I could see that there was a broken to overcast layer of clouds well below me. We made our preparations to fly an ILS approach to runway 9R. When we were switched over to atl tower on 119.1, I asked what the ceiling was and they reported that there was some fog and haze, but no ceiling. I replied that that was not the case. After I landed, I reported to the tower that there was a 600 ft broken to overcast ceiling at atl and the tops were 2100 ft MSL. I was rather distressed that the ceiling was quite obvious and that the ATIS was grossly in error. This is an unsafe situation! An aircraft that was ahead of us had to execute a missed approach because he did not have a valid GS indication and could not descend visually to the runway and land. The visibility reported by ATIS and the tower was very accurate, however, they both failed to discern that there was a 600 ft ceiling. After I got to the gate, I called the tower to ask why the ceiling was not on the ATIS and they said that the national WX service has responsibility for updating the ATIS and that they would be notified. As the national WX service station is not at or on the atl airport, it is ludicrous for them to be reporting airport WX. The national WX service never did report the ceiling because when they took their next observation, they had an opening in the overcast and reported at 1100 ft scattered layer. This couldn't' have been farther from the truth! If pilot reports and tower notification cannot induce an accurate WX observation, then that function should be removed from the national WX service and given to the tower. Many commercial airports have tower trained WX observers and that is where the WX is which needs to be reported! This needs to be standard throughout the united states! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: procedures specialist stated tower would ask for a special WX observation, and if it did not change from the previous WX sequence, they would not change the reported WX on the ATIS. Asked about putting the pilot reported WX on the ATIS, the specialist said no unless the WX sequence had it in remarks.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INACCURATE WX RPTED ON ATIS.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON AN ACR FLT ARRIVING IN ATL ON AUG/THU/94 AT OX15 AM. THE ARR ATIS 'BRAVO' RPTED '15000 SCATTERED, 25000 SCATTERED, 3 MI FOG.' I, THEREFORE, EXPECTED WX CONDITIONS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO FLY A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9R. AS WE DSNDED TO 3500 FT MSL, I COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS A BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER OF CLOUDS WELL BELOW ME. WE MADE OUR PREPARATIONS TO FLY AN ILS APCH TO RWY 9R. WHEN WE WERE SWITCHED OVER TO ATL TWR ON 119.1, I ASKED WHAT THE CEILING WAS AND THEY RPTED THAT THERE WAS SOME FOG AND HAZE, BUT NO CEILING. I REPLIED THAT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. AFTER I LANDED, I RPTED TO THE TWR THAT THERE WAS A 600 FT BROKEN TO OVCST CEILING AT ATL AND THE TOPS WERE 2100 FT MSL. I WAS RATHER DISTRESSED THAT THE CEILING WAS QUITE OBVIOUS AND THAT THE ATIS WAS GROSSLY IN ERROR. THIS IS AN UNSAFE SIT! AN ACFT THAT WAS AHEAD OF US HAD TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE A VALID GS INDICATION AND COULD NOT DSND VISUALLY TO THE RWY AND LAND. THE VISIBILITY RPTED BY ATIS AND THE TWR WAS VERY ACCURATE, HOWEVER, THEY BOTH FAILED TO DISCERN THAT THERE WAS A 600 FT CEILING. AFTER I GOT TO THE GATE, I CALLED THE TWR TO ASK WHY THE CEILING WAS NOT ON THE ATIS AND THEY SAID THAT THE NATIONAL WX SVC HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR UPDATING THE ATIS AND THAT THEY WOULD BE NOTIFIED. AS THE NATIONAL WX SVC STATION IS NOT AT OR ON THE ATL ARPT, IT IS LUDICROUS FOR THEM TO BE RPTING ARPT WX. THE NATIONAL WX SVC NEVER DID RPT THE CEILING BECAUSE WHEN THEY TOOK THEIR NEXT OBSERVATION, THEY HAD AN OPENING IN THE OVCST AND RPTED AT 1100 FT SCATTERED LAYER. THIS COULDN'T' HAVE BEEN FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH! IF PLT RPTS AND TWR NOTIFICATION CANNOT INDUCE AN ACCURATE WX OBSERVATION, THEN THAT FUNCTION SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE NATIONAL WX SVC AND GIVEN TO THE TWR. MANY COMMERCIAL ARPTS HAVE TWR TRAINED WX OBSERVERS AND THAT IS WHERE THE WX IS WHICH NEEDS TO BE RPTED! THIS NEEDS TO BE STANDARD THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PROCS SPECIALIST STATED TWR WOULD ASK FOR A SPECIAL WX OBSERVATION, AND IF IT DID NOT CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS WX SEQUENCE, THEY WOULD NOT CHANGE THE RPTED WX ON THE ATIS. ASKED ABOUT PUTTING THE PLT RPTED WX ON THE ATIS, THE SPECIALIST SAID NO UNLESS THE WX SEQUENCE HAD IT IN REMARKS.

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.