Narrative:

Trip from sll to ida planned to arrive AB30 local. Tower closes AB00. Last WX observation at AA45 not taken or not available from boi FSS. No AWOS. No unicom. Tower closed. FSS consolidated off field. Local company initially did not answer on company radio. After much investigation I learned no company observer at station. Official WX observer is another carrier. Company did answer on radio after call to company dispatch asking to phone station to turn radio on or up. Company went outside and said wind direction, commuter flight departing our destination also reported wind and altitude. Local cessna working in pattern reported same. No problem of this flight. However, WX observation is required for a safe operation and is required by far and operations specifications. Pilot group and company notified of this problem. Hopefully it will be resolved before somebody goes off the end downwind or before somebody arrives at minimums with the incorrect altimeter setting. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has spoken to both company and pilot group regarding his concern that someone who does not know the airport well may end up landing upwind and with runway slope this could easily cause a runway excursion. Reporter feels they were not illegal since they received a report from departing commuter and from the cessna in the pattern. Reporter has since spoken to the other carrier and has copied their frequency in case he is unable to receive WX in the future. Previous procedure is to call boi, have them contact ground personnel of reporter company at ida and request WX, then transmit given WX to reporter aircraft. A bit roundabout when other carrier WX observer is right next door to his company's office. Reporter feels this is just one more attempt at using automated WX information which is not working. Aircraft is B-737.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-737 FLC LNDG AT NON TWR ARPT HAS DIFFICULTY RECEIVING WX OBSERVER.

Narrative: TRIP FROM SLL TO IDA PLANNED TO ARRIVE AB30 LCL. TWR CLOSES AB00. LAST WX OBSERVATION AT AA45 NOT TAKEN OR NOT AVAILABLE FROM BOI FSS. NO AWOS. NO UNICOM. TWR CLOSED. FSS CONSOLIDATED OFF FIELD. LCL COMPANY INITIALLY DID NOT ANSWER ON COMPANY RADIO. AFTER MUCH INVESTIGATION I LEARNED NO COMPANY OBSERVER AT STATION. OFFICIAL WX OBSERVER IS ANOTHER CARRIER. COMPANY DID ANSWER ON RADIO AFTER CALL TO COMPANY DISPATCH ASKING TO PHONE STATION TO TURN RADIO ON OR UP. COMPANY WENT OUTSIDE AND SAID WIND DIRECTION, COMMUTER FLT DEPARTING OUR DEST ALSO RPTED WIND AND ALT. LCL CESSNA WORKING IN PATTERN RPTED SAME. NO PROB OF THIS FLT. HOWEVER, WX OBSERVATION IS REQUIRED FOR A SAFE OP AND IS REQUIRED BY FAR AND OPS SPECS. PLT GROUP AND COMPANY NOTIFIED OF THIS PROB. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEBODY GOES OFF THE END DOWNWIND OR BEFORE SOMEBODY ARRIVES AT MINIMUMS WITH THE INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS SPOKEN TO BOTH COMPANY AND PLT GROUP REGARDING HIS CONCERN THAT SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE ARPT WELL MAY END UP LNDG UPWIND AND WITH RWY SLOPE THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE A RWY EXCURSION. RPTR FEELS THEY WERE NOT ILLEGAL SINCE THEY RECEIVED A RPT FROM DEPARTING COMMUTER AND FROM THE CESSNA IN THE PATTERN. RPTR HAS SINCE SPOKEN TO THE OTHER CARRIER AND HAS COPIED THEIR FREQ IN CASE HE IS UNABLE TO RECEIVE WX IN THE FUTURE. PREVIOUS PROC IS TO CALL BOI, HAVE THEM CONTACT GND PERSONNEL OF RPTR COMPANY AT IDA AND REQUEST WX, THEN XMIT GIVEN WX TO RPTR ACFT. A BIT ROUNDABOUT WHEN OTHER CARRIER WX OBSERVER IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HIS COMPANY'S OFFICE. RPTR FEELS THIS IS JUST ONE MORE ATTEMPT AT USING AUTOMATED WX INFO WHICH IS NOT WORKING. ACFT IS B-737.

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.