Eat AWOS WX reporting unreliable.

Attributes
ACN	296621
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eat
State Reference	WA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	296621
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Center controllers and aircraft inbound to wenatchee, wa, are encountering a continuing problem of unreliable WX service reporting by the eat AWOS. This latest occurrence was the reported AWOS 'eat XX56 sa AWOS clear below 12000 ft 10 38/30/1004/018/slp 226.' based on this report, the act was vectored to the airport and told to expect the visual approach. After shooting the approach, the aircraft reported solid IMC 9000 ft to 6500 ft. The aircraft broke out of the overcast at 6500 ft and finished his approach. Other sits have had aircraft diverting from airports below minimums to wenatchee because it is the only airport above minimums, only to arrive to find out the reported WX is unreliable and wenatchee is also below minimums, wasting valuable time. The eat AWOS should be decertified immediately and should not be used for WX reporting. Air carrier operations has the capability of providing a WX observer on location to grt reports. We should either fix the AWOS or provide a human observer to provide a safe environment to our aviation users. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this problem happens all the time. AWOS reports airport VMC when the actual WX is IMC. Ucr has been filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EAT AWOS WX RPTING UNRELIABLE.

Narrative: CTR CTLRS AND ACFT INBOUND TO WENATCHEE, WA, ARE ENCOUNTERING A CONTINUING PROB OF UNRELIABLE WX SVC RPTING BY THE EAT AWOS. THIS LATEST OCCURRENCE WAS THE RPTED AWOS 'EAT XX56 SA AWOS CLR BELOW 12000 FT 10 38/30/1004/018/SLP 226.' BASED ON THIS RPT, THE ACT WAS VECTORED TO THE ARPT AND TOLD TO EXPECT THE VISUAL APCH. AFTER SHOOTING THE APCH, THE ACFT RPTED SOLID IMC 9000 FT TO 6500 FT. THE ACFT BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AT 6500 FT AND FINISHED HIS APCH. OTHER SITS HAVE HAD ACFT DIVERTING FROM ARPTS BELOW MINIMUMS TO WENATCHEE BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY ARPT ABOVE MINIMUMS, ONLY TO ARRIVE TO FIND OUT THE RPTED WX IS UNRELIABLE AND WENATCHEE IS ALSO BELOW MINIMUMS, WASTING VALUABLE TIME. THE EAT AWOS SHOULD BE DECERTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR WX RPTING. ACR OPS HAS THE CAPABILITY OF PROVIDING A WX OBSERVER ON LOCATION TO GRT RPTS. WE SHOULD EITHER FIX THE AWOS OR PROVIDE A HUMAN OBSERVER TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO OUR AVIATION USERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS PROB HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. AWOS RPTS ARPT VMC WHEN THE ACTUAL WX IS IMC. UCR HAS BEEN FILED.

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.