Narrative:

We have some serious problems at ZLC. Our WX reports that we are giving to pilots most of the time are not current. We have automated system at most airports that give more timely reports, although not always accurate. We are required, under certain circumstances, to issue the WX to the pilot. What I see as a problem is we give the pilot the WX as we have it. Now the pilot has WX that he thinks came from the horse's mouth so he doesn't bother to listen to the automated WX. We control airports that the WX changes very rapidly. Let's say we gave the pilot a report of 4 mi visibility when in fact it may be one quarter mi. He then shoots the approach when the airport is officially below minimums. There are all sorts of sits that could happen. Another problem that came up december thursday 1996, we had a large number of vors failing because of heavy snow. When we got substitute routing it was last updated in 1985. Some of the fixes were decommissioned in 1994. Staffing is one more problem we are having. The problem is the way sectors are being manned. If it is when we have plenty of people we have 2 people at a sector, even if traffic is fairly light. Some controllers like to work busier traffic than others but they are not allowed to work the sector by themselves. When staffing is low we are required to combine some sectors and work them with just 1 person. It sometimes gets somewhat unsafe, partly because we don't always work this busy of traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT POOR WX INFO THAT CTLRS MUST GIVE TO PLTS, SAYS NOT ALWAYS UP TO DATE. ALSO COMPLAINS THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF VORS HAD FAILED DUE TO HVY SNOWFALL, AND HIS THIRD COMPLAINT WAS ABOUT STAFFING AND NUMBER OF CTLRS PER SECTOR AT CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE DAY AND WK.

Narrative: WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS PROBS AT ZLC. OUR WX RPTS THAT WE ARE GIVING TO PLTS MOST OF THE TIME ARE NOT CURRENT. WE HAVE AUTOMATED SYS AT MOST ARPTS THAT GIVE MORE TIMELY RPTS, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE. WE ARE REQUIRED, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TO ISSUE THE WX TO THE PLT. WHAT I SEE AS A PROB IS WE GIVE THE PLT THE WX AS WE HAVE IT. NOW THE PLT HAS WX THAT HE THINKS CAME FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH SO HE DOESN'T BOTHER TO LISTEN TO THE AUTOMATED WX. WE CTL ARPTS THAT THE WX CHANGES VERY RAPIDLY. LET'S SAY WE GAVE THE PLT A RPT OF 4 MI VISIBILITY WHEN IN FACT IT MAY BE ONE QUARTER MI. HE THEN SHOOTS THE APCH WHEN THE ARPT IS OFFICIALLY BELOW MINIMUMS. THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF SITS THAT COULD HAPPEN. ANOTHER PROB THAT CAME UP DECEMBER THURSDAY 1996, WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF VORS FAILING BECAUSE OF HVY SNOW. WHEN WE GOT SUBSTITUTE ROUTING IT WAS LAST UPDATED IN 1985. SOME OF THE FIXES WERE DECOMMISSIONED IN 1994. STAFFING IS ONE MORE PROB WE ARE HAVING. THE PROB IS THE WAY SECTORS ARE BEING MANNED. IF IT IS WHEN WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WE HAVE 2 PEOPLE AT A SECTOR, EVEN IF TFC IS FAIRLY LIGHT. SOME CTLRS LIKE TO WORK BUSIER TFC THAN OTHERS BUT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WORK THE SECTOR BY THEMSELVES. WHEN STAFFING IS LOW WE ARE REQUIRED TO COMBINE SOME SECTORS AND WORK THEM WITH JUST 1 PERSON. IT SOMETIMES GETS SOMEWHAT UNSAFE, PARTLY BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS WORK THIS BUSY OF TFC.

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.