Wind reporting equipment problem wind sensor location.

Attributes
ACN	328316
Time
Date	199602
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zoa
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	328316
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

The direct reading wind instrument displays at all position at mci ATCT report lower speed than the actual conditions. During my shift the direct read displayed the wind at mci airport a speed no greater than 11 KTS. The ASOS at mci reported consistently at 20-25 KTS. I believe the location of the wind instrument on the airport is in a position that shields it from the actual condition and gives controllers and pilots erroneous wind speed information. I feel the wind instrument should be moved to a more suitable location as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the problem with the wind sensors is when the wind is out of the northwest and runways 01 are in use. The center field wind sensor is part of the LLWAS system and is close to runway 01R. The problem is terminal C blocks the wind from the sensor. On this day the center field sensor was indicating 12 KTS and ASOS was indicating 25 KTS gust to 32 KTS. Reporter stated a ucr is going to be filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WIND RPTING EQUIP PROB WIND SENSOR LOCATION.

Narrative: THE DIRECT READING WIND INST DISPLAYS AT ALL POS AT MCI ATCT RPT LOWER SPD THAN THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS. DURING MY SHIFT THE DIRECT READ DISPLAYED THE WIND AT MCI ARPT A SPD NO GREATER THAN 11 KTS. THE ASOS AT MCI RPTED CONSISTENTLY AT 20-25 KTS. I BELIEVE THE LOCATION OF THE WIND INST ON THE ARPT IS IN A POS THAT SHIELDS IT FROM THE ACTUAL CONDITION AND GIVES CTLRS AND PLTS ERRONEOUS WIND SPD INFO. I FEEL THE WIND INST SHOULD BE MOVED TO A MORE SUITABLE LOCATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PROB WITH THE WIND SENSORS IS WHEN THE WIND IS OUT OF THE NW AND RWYS 01 ARE IN USE. THE CTR FIELD WIND SENSOR IS PART OF THE LLWAS SYS AND IS CLOSE TO RWY 01R. THE PROB IS TERMINAL C BLOCKS THE WIND FROM THE SENSOR. ON THIS DAY THE CTR FIELD SENSOR WAS INDICATING 12 KTS AND ASOS WAS INDICATING 25 KTS GUST TO 32 KTS. RPTR STATED A UCR IS GOING TO BE 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.