WX not available to tower because of lightning strike. ASOS policy by national WX service.

Attributes
ACN	284501
Time
Date	199408
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : syr
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	284501
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

I have filed another ucr concerning the automated surface observation system, ASOS. Currently, the ASOS WX is transmitted through a non certified, non FAA approved system. It consists of an rs-232 tap line driver to an old pc which converts through a program then sends via VHF-FM radio to the tower. Recently, a lightning strike caused the ATC tower to be without ASOS observations from aug/sat/94 to sep/fri/94. The current national WX service plan to remove all personnel from tower locations will create a safety hazard. Controllers are not WX men and cannot supply the required WX whenever a 'line' is down or equipment is OTS. Currently, there is no plan to hire others to replace the national WX service or improve the ASOS equipment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the phone line has been changed and the tower gets WX direct from national WX service. ASOS augmentation to erroneous WX reports has been changed. If report is not correct by more than 1 rptable value, the national WX service will change the WX sequence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX NOT AVAILABLE TO TWR BECAUSE OF LIGHTNING STRIKE. ASOS POLICY BY NATIONAL WX SVC.

Narrative: I HAVE FILED ANOTHER UCR CONCERNING THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVATION SYS, ASOS. CURRENTLY, THE ASOS WX IS XMITTED THROUGH A NON CERTIFIED, NON FAA APPROVED SYS. IT CONSISTS OF AN RS-232 TAP LINE DRIVER TO AN OLD PC WHICH CONVERTS THROUGH A PROGRAM THEN SENDS VIA VHF-FM RADIO TO THE TWR. RECENTLY, A LIGHTNING STRIKE CAUSED THE ATC TWR TO BE WITHOUT ASOS OBSERVATIONS FROM AUG/SAT/94 TO SEP/FRI/94. THE CURRENT NATIONAL WX SVC PLAN TO REMOVE ALL PERSONNEL FROM TWR LOCATIONS WILL CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD. CTLRS ARE NOT WX MEN AND CANNOT SUPPLY THE REQUIRED WX WHENEVER A 'LINE' IS DOWN OR EQUIP IS OTS. CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO PLAN TO HIRE OTHERS TO REPLACE THE NATIONAL WX SVC OR IMPROVE THE ASOS EQUIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PHONE LINE HAS BEEN CHANGED AND THE TWR GETS WX DIRECT FROM NATIONAL WX SVC. ASOS AUGMENTATION TO ERRONEOUS WX RPTS HAS BEEN CHANGED. IF RPT IS NOT CORRECT BY MORE THAN 1 RPTABLE VALUE, THE NATIONAL WX SVC WILL CHANGE THE WX SEQUENCE.

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.