Narrative:

ASOS equipment at dab continues to report erroneous information. The following situation not only cost the user lost revenue but required extra handling by 2 ATC facilities adding to workload and thereby possibly affecting safety. Air carrier X entered dab airspace at approximately AX12 local time. The flight was inbound from tpa to pick up passenger and continue to las. ASOS was reporting heavy rain in its automated reports until AY06 local time. During that hour (AX00-AY00), held over omn VOR awaiting an observation of less than heavy rain which would allow the pilot to execute an approach per company rules. Although there were no other acrs scheduled during this time, other GA aircraft landed and departed dab airport. Pilots reported light rain. I and other tower controllers observed light to occasional moderate rain with tower visibility between 1 1/2-3 mi. ASR-9 WX radar showed only level 1 activity over the airport. NWS itself recorded only .31 inch of rain after AY00 local. At approximately AY00, air carrier X diverted to mco. The problem continues to be erroneous information being reported by ASOS equipment. Also when changes in WX do occur, the time lapse between the actual WX and the reported WX is excessive to say the least and dangerous to the flying public not to mention costly as this situation above shows. To correct the situation, have personnel (whether they be NWS, at, contract, pilots) trained in WX observing report the WX. These observations would be timely, correct, and detailed enough to indicate the true WX picture to the pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DIVERT BECAUSE OF INACCURATE WX BY ASOS.

Narrative: ASOS EQUIP AT DAB CONTINUES TO RPT ERRONEOUS INFO. THE FOLLOWING SIT NOT ONLY COST THE USER LOST REVENUE BUT REQUIRED EXTRA HANDLING BY 2 ATC FACILITIES ADDING TO WORKLOAD AND THEREBY POSSIBLY AFFECTING SAFETY. ACR X ENTERED DAB AIRSPACE AT APPROX AX12 LCL TIME. THE FLT WAS INBOUND FROM TPA TO PICK UP PAX AND CONTINUE TO LAS. ASOS WAS RPTING HVY RAIN IN ITS AUTOMATED RPTS UNTIL AY06 LCL TIME. DURING THAT HR (AX00-AY00), HELD OVER OMN VOR AWAITING AN OBSERVATION OF LESS THAN HVY RAIN WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE PLT TO EXECUTE AN APCH PER COMPANY RULES. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO OTHER ACRS SCHEDULED DURING THIS TIME, OTHER GA ACFT LANDED AND DEPARTED DAB ARPT. PLTS RPTED LIGHT RAIN. I AND OTHER TWR CTLRS OBSERVED LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE RAIN WITH TWR VISIBILITY BTWN 1 1/2-3 MI. ASR-9 WX RADAR SHOWED ONLY LEVEL 1 ACTIVITY OVER THE ARPT. NWS ITSELF RECORDED ONLY .31 INCH OF RAIN AFTER AY00 LCL. AT APPROX AY00, ACR X DIVERTED TO MCO. THE PROB CONTINUES TO BE ERRONEOUS INFO BEING RPTED BY ASOS EQUIP. ALSO WHEN CHANGES IN WX DO OCCUR, THE TIME LAPSE BTWN THE ACTUAL WX AND THE RPTED WX IS EXCESSIVE TO SAY THE LEAST AND DANGEROUS TO THE FLYING PUBLIC NOT TO MENTION COSTLY AS THIS SIT ABOVE SHOWS. TO CORRECT THE SIT, HAVE PERSONNEL (WHETHER THEY BE NWS, AT, CONTRACT, PLTS) TRAINED IN WX OBSERVING RPT THE WX. THESE OBSERVATIONS WOULD BE TIMELY, CORRECT, AND DETAILED ENOUGH TO INDICATE THE TRUE WX PICTURE TO THE PLT.

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.