Narrative:

The FAA has decided to take responsibility for aviation WX from the NWS. In a cost-cutting move, they have also decided to accept the ASOS system and terminate the contracts of certified WX observers who augmented ASOS, believing controllers can do that job. In addition, the local NWS office at the airport has been closed, and relocated, along with their new WX radar, some 20 mi away, on the other side of a mountain range! This has left the controllers at el paso international airport responsible for aviation WX at el paso international airport. We took over that responsibility today. This is unacceptable and unsafe for the following reasons: our entire training as lawrs observers was an 8 hour clearance delivery-rom based computer course primarily dealing with the proper way to enter reporting elements on the NWS form. We received no classroom training. We received no 'hands-on' training as per the national mou. We have no materials to refer to except the national order, a book the size of a large city's phone directory. Finding some useful information in it takes at least 5 mins (4 mins 45 seconds long). Additionally, I cannot recall ever receiving any WX training from FAA regarding WX observations other than visibility since I left the FAA academy almost 2 decades ago. The latest guidance I've gotten says that we only have to report 5 conditions while augmenting ASOS -- tornadoes, hail, volcanic ash, and I cannot even recall what the other two were. My understanding is we ought not even attempt to augment ASOS by commenting on WX observed off the airfield, such as thunderstorms, standing lenticular, rotor clouds, microbursts, etc. We have been told that the responsibility for augmenting ASOS observations should be assigned a 'non-control' position. We assume that means flight data/clearance delivery at my facility, but have nothing in writing stating that. We have also been told that we shall not leave a position to make an ASOS observation. I assume that means we have to do it from the tower cabin attendant, which is impossible at night, and could be difficult during the daytime. I believe regular WX observers are supposed to have observation points outside any buildings, plus up to 20 mins to allow their eyes to adjust to nighttime conditions. It also means that there will be no ASOS augmentation at night when staffing is limited, and everyone is signed on a position. The only 'backup' WX equipment we have is our LLWAS and dasi. We have no method, other than pilot reports, to verify the accuracy of any other ASOS elements. We had some limited training on manually editing the ASOS report some 6 months ago (another clearance delivery-rom course), but no refresher training since. We have been told to perform 5 practice observations a month to 'maintain our currency.' these were supposed to have been scheduled so as to eliminate the opportunity for controllers to only take observation during good WX. They were not scheduled, however, it matters little since we are in a desert, and the worst draught in 30 yrs. I have seen the practice records, and they all report 'clear and 30.' I don't think anyone has reported a single cloud in weeks. Added to this, we are supposed to take another clearance delivery-rom based course on metar/taf this month in preparation for this country's conversion on 07/01. Since I still don't know what the hell I'm doing under the old system, I suppose I'll be completely confused next month. Again, we will not receive any classroom or practical training. We'll just be shut in a room with a computer for 8 hours and expected to be proficient. We have raised these concerns repeatedly to FAA management, and they have responded with shrugs or with the attitude that this is simply a case of labor not wanting to perform extra duties. In short, as of today, my fellow controllers and I are responsible for all aviation WX at our airport. We have not had anything like adequate training, we don't know what the hell we're doing, we have no written guidance other than a large confusing manual that is being rewritten for metar/taf and will most likely be incomprehensible afterwards. And we're supposed to be doing this while we control airplanes as well. This is without a doubt the most screwed-up FAA program I have ever seen. The FAA should be ordered to reinstate professional meteorologists and observers at all airports with commercial service. A half-assed machine and a half-trained controller cannot replace them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES THE FAA HAS ACCEPTED THE ASOS SYS AND TERMINATED CONTRACTS OF CERTIFIED WX OBSERVERS WHO AUGMENTED ASOS. CTLRS HAVE TAKEN OVER THAT RESPONSIBILITY. TRAINING HAS BEEN LIMITED TO ENTRY OF RPTING ELEMENTS ON THE NWS FORM. NO HANDS-ON TRAINING WAS RECEIVED.

Narrative: THE FAA HAS DECIDED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AVIATION WX FROM THE NWS. IN A COST-CUTTING MOVE, THEY HAVE ALSO DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE ASOS SYS AND TERMINATE THE CONTRACTS OF CERTIFIED WX OBSERVERS WHO AUGMENTED ASOS, BELIEVING CTLRS CAN DO THAT JOB. IN ADDITION, THE LCL NWS OFFICE AT THE ARPT HAS BEEN CLOSED, AND RELOCATED, ALONG WITH THEIR NEW WX RADAR, SOME 20 MI AWAY, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN RANGE! THIS HAS LEFT THE CTLRS AT EL PASO INTL ARPT RESPONSIBLE FOR AVIATION WX AT EL PASO INTL ARPT. WE TOOK OVER THAT RESPONSIBILITY TODAY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: OUR ENTIRE TRAINING AS LAWRS OBSERVERS WAS AN 8 HR CD-ROM BASED COMPUTER COURSE PRIMARILY DEALING WITH THE PROPER WAY TO ENTER RPTING ELEMENTS ON THE NWS FORM. WE RECEIVED NO CLASSROOM TRAINING. WE RECEIVED NO 'HANDS-ON' TRAINING AS PER THE NATIONAL MOU. WE HAVE NO MATERIALS TO REFER TO EXCEPT THE NATIONAL ORDER, A BOOK THE SIZE OF A LARGE CITY'S PHONE DIRECTORY. FINDING SOME USEFUL INFO IN IT TAKES AT LEAST 5 MINS (4 MINS 45 SECONDS LONG). ADDITIONALLY, I CANNOT RECALL EVER RECEIVING ANY WX TRAINING FROM FAA REGARDING WX OBSERVATIONS OTHER THAN VISIBILITY SINCE I LEFT THE FAA ACADEMY ALMOST 2 DECADES AGO. THE LATEST GUIDANCE I'VE GOTTEN SAYS THAT WE ONLY HAVE TO RPT 5 CONDITIONS WHILE AUGMENTING ASOS -- TORNADOES, HAIL, VOLCANIC ASH, AND I CANNOT EVEN RECALL WHAT THE OTHER TWO WERE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE OUGHT NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO AUGMENT ASOS BY COMMENTING ON WX OBSERVED OFF THE AIRFIELD, SUCH AS TSTMS, STANDING LENTICULAR, ROTOR CLOUDS, MICROBURSTS, ETC. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AUGMENTING ASOS OBSERVATIONS SHOULD BE ASSIGNED A 'NON-CTL' POS. WE ASSUME THAT MEANS FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY AT MY FACILITY, BUT HAVE NOTHING IN WRITING STATING THAT. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT WE SHALL NOT LEAVE A POS TO MAKE AN ASOS OBSERVATION. I ASSUME THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO DO IT FROM THE TWR CAB, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE AT NIGHT, AND COULD BE DIFFICULT DURING THE DAYTIME. I BELIEVE REGULAR WX OBSERVERS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE OBSERVATION POINTS OUTSIDE ANY BUILDINGS, PLUS UP TO 20 MINS TO ALLOW THEIR EYES TO ADJUST TO NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS. IT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE NO ASOS AUGMENTATION AT NIGHT WHEN STAFFING IS LIMITED, AND EVERYONE IS SIGNED ON A POS. THE ONLY 'BACKUP' WX EQUIP WE HAVE IS OUR LLWAS AND DASI. WE HAVE NO METHOD, OTHER THAN PLT RPTS, TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF ANY OTHER ASOS ELEMENTS. WE HAD SOME LIMITED TRAINING ON MANUALLY EDITING THE ASOS RPT SOME 6 MONTHS AGO (ANOTHER CD-ROM COURSE), BUT NO REFRESHER TRAINING SINCE. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO PERFORM 5 PRACTICE OBSERVATIONS A MONTH TO 'MAINTAIN OUR CURRENCY.' THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED SO AS TO ELIMINATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CTLRS TO ONLY TAKE OBSERVATION DURING GOOD WX. THEY WERE NOT SCHEDULED, HOWEVER, IT MATTERS LITTLE SINCE WE ARE IN A DESERT, AND THE WORST DRAUGHT IN 30 YRS. I HAVE SEEN THE PRACTICE RECORDS, AND THEY ALL RPT 'CLR AND 30.' I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS RPTED A SINGLE CLOUD IN WEEKS. ADDED TO THIS, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ANOTHER CD-ROM BASED COURSE ON METAR/TAF THIS MONTH IN PREPARATION FOR THIS COUNTRY'S CONVERSION ON 07/01. SINCE I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING UNDER THE OLD SYS, I SUPPOSE I'LL BE COMPLETELY CONFUSED NEXT MONTH. AGAIN, WE WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY CLASSROOM OR PRACTICAL TRAINING. WE'LL JUST BE SHUT IN A ROOM WITH A COMPUTER FOR 8 HRS AND EXPECTED TO BE PROFICIENT. WE HAVE RAISED THESE CONCERNS REPEATEDLY TO FAA MGMNT, AND THEY HAVE RESPONDED WITH SHRUGS OR WITH THE ATTITUDE THAT THIS IS SIMPLY A CASE OF LABOR NOT WANTING TO PERFORM EXTRA DUTIES. IN SHORT, AS OF TODAY, MY FELLOW CTLRS AND I ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL AVIATION WX AT OUR ARPT. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYTHING LIKE ADEQUATE TRAINING, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL WE'RE DOING, WE HAVE NO WRITTEN GUIDANCE OTHER THAN A LARGE CONFUSING MANUAL THAT IS BEING REWRITTEN FOR METAR/TAF AND WILL MOST LIKELY BE INCOMPREHENSIBLE AFTERWARDS. AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS WHILE WE CTL AIRPLANES AS WELL. THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST SCREWED-UP FAA PROGRAM I HAVE EVER SEEN. THE FAA SHOULD BE ORDERED TO REINSTATE PROFESSIONAL METEOROLOGISTS AND OBSERVERS AT ALL ARPTS WITH COMMERCIAL SVC. A HALF-ASSED MACHINE AND A HALF-TRAINED CTLR CANNOT REPLACE THEM.

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.