Narrative:

Returning from a cross country, checked forecast and actual WX before and during the trip. WX at roa reported as clear, visibility 7-10 mi, no remarks. Other stations throughout the area were reporting tcu's in remarks. I checked the ATIS repeatedly for the last 45 mins of the flight. No change from clear and 8 mi throughout the hour. The reason for the close watch on the ATIS was frequent lightning ahead and to the right along with indications of storm activity on WX avoidance equipment. As soon as I got on approach, I discussed the location of the convective activity with the approach controller and determined a safe course of action. I stayed south of the WX, breaking out of the base of a broken to overcast layer less than 15 mi from the airport at 5000 ft MSL. After landing, I noted the sky conditions were similar at the airport. Lightning was visible northeast and thunder could be heard in the distance. The ASOS at roa is supposed to be attended and augmented as necessary. In this case, a thunderstorm was close enough to the airport to be seen and heard, but there was no mention of it on the official WX. Sky conditions were reported inaccurately as well. Several controllers at roa have told me the ASOS is poorly designed equipment that has not been integrated into the system properly and they will not augment it to make it appear to be working properly. In their opinion, this would only validate the system and the poor (or non existent) procedures. They feel that by not correcting or augmenting, the system will give poor data and be upgraded sooner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTR CLAIMS INACCURATE WX AT ROA FROM ASOS EQUIP.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM A XCOUNTRY, CHKED FORECAST AND ACTUAL WX BEFORE AND DURING THE TRIP. WX AT ROA RPTED AS CLR, VISIBILITY 7-10 MI, NO REMARKS. OTHER STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE AREA WERE RPTING TCU'S IN REMARKS. I CHKED THE ATIS REPEATEDLY FOR THE LAST 45 MINS OF THE FLT. NO CHANGE FROM CLR AND 8 MI THROUGHOUT THE HR. THE REASON FOR THE CLOSE WATCH ON THE ATIS WAS FREQUENT LIGHTNING AHEAD AND TO THE R ALONG WITH INDICATIONS OF STORM ACTIVITY ON WX AVOIDANCE EQUIP. AS SOON AS I GOT ON APCH, I DISCUSSED THE LOCATION OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WITH THE APCH CTLR AND DETERMINED A SAFE COURSE OF ACTION. I STAYED S OF THE WX, BREAKING OUT OF THE BASE OF A BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER LESS THAN 15 MI FROM THE ARPT AT 5000 FT MSL. AFTER LNDG, I NOTED THE SKY CONDITIONS WERE SIMILAR AT THE ARPT. LIGHTNING WAS VISIBLE NE AND THUNDER COULD BE HEARD IN THE DISTANCE. THE ASOS AT ROA IS SUPPOSED TO BE ATTENDED AND AUGMENTED AS NECESSARY. IN THIS CASE, A TSTM WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE ARPT TO BE SEEN AND HEARD, BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF IT ON THE OFFICIAL WX. SKY CONDITIONS WERE RPTED INACCURATELY AS WELL. SEVERAL CTLRS AT ROA HAVE TOLD ME THE ASOS IS POORLY DESIGNED EQUIP THAT HAS NOT BEEN INTEGRATED INTO THE SYS PROPERLY AND THEY WILL NOT AUGMENT IT TO MAKE IT APPEAR TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. IN THEIR OPINION, THIS WOULD ONLY VALIDATE THE SYS AND THE POOR (OR NON EXISTENT) PROCS. THEY FEEL THAT BY NOT CORRECTING OR AUGMENTING, THE SYS WILL GIVE POOR DATA AND BE UPGRADED SOONER.

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.