Controller at pia reports inaccurate ASOS observations.

Attributes
ACN	345480
Time
Date	199608
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pia
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pia
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	345480
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

ASOS not representative of actual WX conditions, tower visibility 10 mi plus with some patchy ground fog (very little). ASOS reporting 2 mi, IFR, pia personnel contacted ASOS contract observers who would not augment the erroneous 2 mi report. While ASOS may do a great job augmenting the 5 ft by 20 ft area where the equipment is physically located, and it may register clouds directly over its laser beam celiometer, it does not report conditions at, or near the airport accurately.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR AT PIA RPTS INACCURATE ASOS OBSERVATIONS.

Narrative: ASOS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF ACTUAL WX CONDITIONS, TWR VISIBILITY 10 MI PLUS WITH SOME PATCHY GND FOG (VERY LITTLE). ASOS RPTING 2 MI, IFR, PIA PERSONNEL CONTACTED ASOS CONTRACT OBSERVERS WHO WOULD NOT AUGMENT THE ERRONEOUS 2 MI RPT. WHILE ASOS MAY DO A GREAT JOB AUGMENTING THE 5 FT BY 20 FT AREA WHERE THE EQUIP IS PHYSICALLY LOCATED, AND IT MAY REGISTER CLOUDS DIRECTLY OVER ITS LASER BEAM CELIOMETER, IT DOES NOT RPT CONDITIONS AT, OR NEAR THE ARPT ACCURATELY.

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.