Narrative:

The NWS experienced a failure of a modem. This resulted in the inability of the NWS to disseminate hourly WX observations in a timely manner. For the operations conducted under part 121, the air carrier with which I am employed was required to have station personnel update the WX manually. In other words, station personnel typed the hour WX sequence into the air carrier database by hand. However, this was not accomplished by all of the stations to which we operate. This resulted in some flts being released and dispatched with WX information that may or may not be considered 'current.' the failure on my part, as an aircraft dispatcher, to notice the currency of the WX report contained within the carrier's computer database was totally inadvertent. When reviewing this type of information, one becomes accustomed to focusing on the main body of said reports for restrictive or adverse conditions. The date and time group is easily missed, especially if the WX is clear with no changes forecast and no reason to anticipate any changes in the WX. I am happy to say that corrective measures have been taken to prevent recurrence by placing a limiter within the carrier's computer system to alert the users about the currency of this information. Out of the approximately 100 flts under my jurisdiction during my shift, this only involved 1 flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: good WX conditions existed for the air carrier's entire national route system on the date that the NWS modem failed. A company memo regarding manual hourly WX updates had been sent to all stations and was received on the same printer that was used for receiving WX information. Since WX conditions were good, this problem was confined to a legality issue which was investigated by the company. Now, a new system installed in the computer alerts the users when WX is over 2 hours old. Reporter feels that the company's solution does not cover the tremendous workload that accompanies this type of problem and that additional personnel for WX watch assistance are needed. Supplemental information from acn 333007: the NWS experienced a lapse in reporting of hourly WX to all facilities. The WX in some cases was updated by hourly observers but not at all aerodromes. Flts continued to be dispatched with old hourly WX and current forecasts which may have been a non- compliance of FARS 121.601 and 121.687.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN NWS MODEM FAILURE LED TO A PART 121 ACFT'S DISPATCH WITH OLD WX. ALL COMPANY STATIONS WERE SENT A MEMO REGARDING MANUAL UPDATE OF WX, BUT NOT ALL OF THE DISPATCHERS NOTICED THE MEMO.

Narrative: THE NWS EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF A MODEM. THIS RESULTED IN THE INABILITY OF THE NWS TO DISSEMINATE HRLY WX OBSERVATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER. FOR THE OPS CONDUCTED UNDER PART 121, THE ACR WITH WHICH I AM EMPLOYED WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE STATION PERSONNEL UPDATE THE WX MANUALLY. IN OTHER WORDS, STATION PERSONNEL TYPED THE HR WX SEQUENCE INTO THE ACR DATABASE BY HAND. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY ALL OF THE STATIONS TO WHICH WE OPERATE. THIS RESULTED IN SOME FLTS BEING RELEASED AND DISPATCHED WITH WX INFO THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED 'CURRENT.' THE FAILURE ON MY PART, AS AN ACFT DISPATCHER, TO NOTICE THE CURRENCY OF THE WX RPT CONTAINED WITHIN THE CARRIER'S COMPUTER DATABASE WAS TOTALLY INADVERTENT. WHEN REVIEWING THIS TYPE OF INFO, ONE BECOMES ACCUSTOMED TO FOCUSING ON THE MAIN BODY OF SAID RPTS FOR RESTRICTIVE OR ADVERSE CONDITIONS. THE DATE AND TIME GROUP IS EASILY MISSED, ESPECIALLY IF THE WX IS CLR WITH NO CHANGES FORECAST AND NO REASON TO ANTICIPATE ANY CHANGES IN THE WX. I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT CORRECTIVE MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT RECURRENCE BY PLACING A LIMITER WITHIN THE CARRIER'S COMPUTER SYS TO ALERT THE USERS ABOUT THE CURRENCY OF THIS INFO. OUT OF THE APPROX 100 FLTS UNDER MY JURISDICTION DURING MY SHIFT, THIS ONLY INVOLVED 1 FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: GOOD WX CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE ACR'S ENTIRE NATIONAL RTE SYS ON THE DATE THAT THE NWS MODEM FAILED. A COMPANY MEMO REGARDING MANUAL HRLY WX UPDATES HAD BEEN SENT TO ALL STATIONS AND WAS RECEIVED ON THE SAME PRINTER THAT WAS USED FOR RECEIVING WX INFO. SINCE WX CONDITIONS WERE GOOD, THIS PROB WAS CONFINED TO A LEGALITY ISSUE WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE COMPANY. NOW, A NEW SYS INSTALLED IN THE COMPUTER ALERTS THE USERS WHEN WX IS OVER 2 HRS OLD. RPTR FEELS THAT THE COMPANY'S SOLUTION DOES NOT COVER THE TREMENDOUS WORKLOAD THAT ACCOMPANIES THIS TYPE OF PROB AND THAT ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL FOR WX WATCH ASSISTANCE ARE NEEDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 333007: THE NWS EXPERIENCED A LAPSE IN RPTING OF HRLY WX TO ALL FACILITIES. THE WX IN SOME CASES WAS UPDATED BY HRLY OBSERVERS BUT NOT AT ALL AERODROMES. FLTS CONTINUED TO BE DISPATCHED WITH OLD HRLY WX AND CURRENT FORECASTS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A NON- COMPLIANCE OF FARS 121.601 AND 121.687.

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.