Digital ATIS voice is difficult for flcs to understand especially altimeter and wind information.

Attributes
ACN	352494
Time
Date	199611
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 12 flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 5000
ASRS Report	352494
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The new digital ATIS voice is difficult for flcs to understand. There have been numerous pilot complaints that the ATIS is not understandable or very difficult to understand. A flight crew described the voice as the swedish chef from the muppet show. The purpose of the ATIS was to reduce controller workload and reduce frequency congestion. If the ATIS is not understandable, controllers must ensure that aircraft have the current airport information. This defeats the initial purpose of the ATIS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: controller reporter states they have endless complaints from pilots stating they cannot understand the wind and altimeter which is of vital importance on the approach. When NOTAMS are read the punctuation is read as part of the information. What a waste when controller has to repeat the information to the flcs! Reporter also commented on the ASR radar at his facility. There are so many false primary targets a controller cannot tell which are aircraft. They almost had a collision of a C172 with a B737 recently.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIGITAL ATIS VOICE IS DIFFICULT FOR FLCS TO UNDERSTAND ESPECIALLY ALTIMETER AND WIND INFO.

Narrative: THE NEW DIGITAL ATIS VOICE IS DIFFICULT FOR FLCS TO UNDERSTAND. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS PLT COMPLAINTS THAT THE ATIS IS NOT UNDERSTANDABLE OR VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. A FLC DESCRIBED THE VOICE AS THE SWEDISH CHEF FROM THE MUPPET SHOW. THE PURPOSE OF THE ATIS WAS TO REDUCE CTLR WORKLOAD AND REDUCE FREQ CONGESTION. IF THE ATIS IS NOT UNDERSTANDABLE, CTLRS MUST ENSURE THAT ACFT HAVE THE CURRENT ARPT INFO. THIS DEFEATS THE INITIAL PURPOSE OF THE ATIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CTLR RPTR STATES THEY HAVE ENDLESS COMPLAINTS FROM PLTS STATING THEY CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE WIND AND ALTIMETER WHICH IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE ON THE APCH. WHEN NOTAMS ARE READ THE PUNCTUATION IS READ AS PART OF THE INFO. WHAT A WASTE WHEN CTLR HAS TO REPEAT THE INFO TO THE FLCS! RPTR ALSO COMMENTED ON THE ASR RADAR AT HIS FACILITY. THERE ARE SO MANY FALSE PRIMARY TARGETS A CTLR CANNOT TELL WHICH ARE ACFT. THEY ALMOST HAD A COLLISION OF A C172 WITH A B737 RECENTLY.

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.