Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from 7tx6 to rsn with a stopover at act. Although I did not file a VFR flight plan, I did get WX briefing prior to takeoff. The conditions at midland were clear with unrestr visibility. Reported conditions at waco were clear with scattered to broken clouds in route. I departed 7tx6, flew direct to waco via GPS at 9500 ft. About 60 NM west of waco, I turned to waco ATIS and the current conditions were being reported as: clear skies and visibility of greater than 10 mi. I had about 80 percent cloud cover between my position and waco, so my interpretation of the expected remaining flight was to expect a hole in the cover at waco. About 20 mi west of the airport, it became apparent that there was no hole to descend through, so I elected to remain VFR and descend at that point. I got under the cover at 2000 ft AGL. The visibility was poor so I requested and received vectors to the ILS for runway 19 at act. I was inside the OM (3 NM from map) before I had the runway in sight. At best, the conditions at the airport were 2000 ft broken and more likely 2000 ft overcast. Visibility was less than 5 mi. I fueled up and noticed a national WX station next door to the FBO, so I decided to take a look and ask why the incorrect WX was being reported on the ATIS. When I went in the building, I found 2 people on duty, a man about 60 and a woman in her mid thirties. They were quick to tell me that if I had a question on the WX, 'call FSS as they were only contract WX observers.' when I asked what the conditions were outside, they gave me the same reply. What they were doing was watching gourmet cooking on the tv and they had no time for me. I left and did not challenge them or their lack of concern for the WX. Before starting my engine, I again listened to ATIS. 'Clear and greater than 10 mi' ATIS had not changed and I had now been on the ground for 20 mins. It had been about 45 mins since I first listened to ATIS. Now my complaint or questions are as follows: 1) I was not in any danger when I landed at act, but if I had been an inexperienced pilot who had mis-managed his fuel, what could have happened? According to ATIS, the skies were clear. They were not. There was a 1500 ft thick cloud layer all around and over the airport. 2) why was ATIS wrong for over an hour? I called the tower's attention to the ceilings on my approach as well as another plane behind me. 3) why could the 2 contract employees situation and watch tv when the WX was changing? If they are going to 'observe' on the hour, can one person do it, or does it take two? 4) why have them there at all if they are not going to help pilots like me? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a D-35 bonanza. He 'found his way through' the overcast at act. It is true that it is the FSS's job to brief the pilots, but the reporter thought that he should have been given better treatment from the WX service. The woman in the WX service said to the reporter that if he didn't like it, 'he could call ft worth.' the reporter now wishes that he had called. Act tower is non-federal and was not very interested in the wrong ATIS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TRANSIENT PLT FOUND THAT THE ATIS WAS VERY WRONG.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM 7TX6 TO RSN WITH A STOPOVER AT ACT. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT FILE A VFR FLT PLAN, I DID GET WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO TKOF. THE CONDITIONS AT MIDLAND WERE CLR WITH UNRESTR VISIBILITY. RPTED CONDITIONS AT WACO WERE CLR WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS IN RTE. I DEPARTED 7TX6, FLEW DIRECT TO WACO VIA GPS AT 9500 FT. ABOUT 60 NM W OF WACO, I TURNED TO WACO ATIS AND THE CURRENT CONDITIONS WERE BEING RPTED AS: CLR SKIES AND VISIBILITY OF GREATER THAN 10 MI. I HAD ABOUT 80 PERCENT CLOUD COVER BTWN MY POS AND WACO, SO MY INTERP OF THE EXPECTED REMAINING FLT WAS TO EXPECT A HOLE IN THE COVER AT WACO. ABOUT 20 MI W OF THE ARPT, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WAS NO HOLE TO DSND THROUGH, SO I ELECTED TO REMAIN VFR AND DSND AT THAT POINT. I GOT UNDER THE COVER AT 2000 FT AGL. THE VISIBILITY WAS POOR SO I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE ILS FOR RWY 19 AT ACT. I WAS INSIDE THE OM (3 NM FROM MAP) BEFORE I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. AT BEST, THE CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT WERE 2000 FT BROKEN AND MORE LIKELY 2000 FT OVCST. VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN 5 MI. I FUELED UP AND NOTICED A NATIONAL WX STATION NEXT DOOR TO THE FBO, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AND ASK WHY THE INCORRECT WX WAS BEING RPTED ON THE ATIS. WHEN I WENT IN THE BUILDING, I FOUND 2 PEOPLE ON DUTY, A MAN ABOUT 60 AND A WOMAN IN HER MID THIRTIES. THEY WERE QUICK TO TELL ME THAT IF I HAD A QUESTION ON THE WX, 'CALL FSS AS THEY WERE ONLY CONTRACT WX OBSERVERS.' WHEN I ASKED WHAT THE CONDITIONS WERE OUTSIDE, THEY GAVE ME THE SAME REPLY. WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS WATCHING GOURMET COOKING ON THE TV AND THEY HAD NO TIME FOR ME. I LEFT AND DID NOT CHALLENGE THEM OR THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE WX. BEFORE STARTING MY ENG, I AGAIN LISTENED TO ATIS. 'CLR AND GREATER THAN 10 MI' ATIS HAD NOT CHANGED AND I HAD NOW BEEN ON THE GND FOR 20 MINS. IT HAD BEEN ABOUT 45 MINS SINCE I FIRST LISTENED TO ATIS. NOW MY COMPLAINT OR QUESTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) I WAS NOT IN ANY DANGER WHEN I LANDED AT ACT, BUT IF I HAD BEEN AN INEXPERIENCED PLT WHO HAD MIS-MANAGED HIS FUEL, WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED? ACCORDING TO ATIS, THE SKIES WERE CLR. THEY WERE NOT. THERE WAS A 1500 FT THICK CLOUD LAYER ALL AROUND AND OVER THE ARPT. 2) WHY WAS ATIS WRONG FOR OVER AN HR? I CALLED THE TWR'S ATTN TO THE CEILINGS ON MY APCH AS WELL AS ANOTHER PLANE BEHIND ME. 3) WHY COULD THE 2 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES SIT AND WATCH TV WHEN THE WX WAS CHANGING? IF THEY ARE GOING TO 'OBSERVE' ON THE HR, CAN ONE PERSON DO IT, OR DOES IT TAKE TWO? 4) WHY HAVE THEM THERE AT ALL IF THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HELP PLTS LIKE ME? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A D-35 BONANZA. HE 'FOUND HIS WAY THROUGH' THE OVCST AT ACT. IT IS TRUE THAT IT IS THE FSS'S JOB TO BRIEF THE PLTS, BUT THE RPTR THOUGHT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN BETTER TREATMENT FROM THE WX SVC. THE WOMAN IN THE WX SVC SAID TO THE RPTR THAT IF HE DIDN'T LIKE IT, 'HE COULD CALL FT WORTH.' THE RPTR NOW WISHES THAT HE HAD CALLED. ACT TWR IS NON-FEDERAL AND WAS NOT VERY INTERESTED IN THE WRONG ATIS.

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.