Narrative:

At our facility, the clearance delivery/flight data position is assigned the responsibility for 'backing up' (correcting inaccurate WX reported on the ASOS) and 'augmenting' (adding significant WX events such as thunderstorms) the ASOS reported WX. First -- some background: as a former limited aviation WX reporting station (lawrs) observer at another facility, I can accurately state that the training we received last yr to supposedly perform as lawrs backup and augmentation observers was totally inadequate. It was 'on paper' training, accomplished in whirlwind fashion and just about useless. Most controllers here feel no responsibility whatsoever to correct the inaccurate WX reported by ASOS equipment, that occurs between 25-50% of the time. Nor are they corrected by their supervisors for not augmenting and backing up the WX. To be fair, it is a daunting responsibility considering the amount of work involved in correcting errors and augmenting. The situation: last week, I worked local control while a supervisor worked ground control combined with flight data/clearance delivery and was therefore responsible for the ASOS. Lightning was quite visible less than 5 mi from the airport and thunder was audible for over 20 mins before another controller (a former FSS specialist) signed on and augmented a thunderstorm into the WX observation. While talking with other controllers, most were unconcerned about the thunderstorm not being reported, most said that the supervisor probably didn't know how to do it anyway. As a pilot, I wonder if other ASOS reports are as inaccurate as ours, and if other facility personnel are as apathetic as ours to correct it. I know you all can't do much about this, but I feel better having told someone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES THE TRAINING RECEIVED FOR LAWRS BACKUP AND AUGMENTATION FOR ASOS WAS INADEQUATE. ALLEGES MOST CTLRS DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBILITY TO AUGMENT THE ASOS WX RPT.

Narrative: AT OUR FACILITY, THE CLRNC DELIVERY/FLT DATA POS IS ASSIGNED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR 'BACKING UP' (CORRECTING INACCURATE WX RPTED ON THE ASOS) AND 'AUGMENTING' (ADDING SIGNIFICANT WX EVENTS SUCH AS TSTMS) THE ASOS RPTED WX. FIRST -- SOME BACKGROUND: AS A FORMER LIMITED AVIATION WX RPTING STATION (LAWRS) OBSERVER AT ANOTHER FACILITY, I CAN ACCURATELY STATE THAT THE TRAINING WE RECEIVED LAST YR TO SUPPOSEDLY PERFORM AS LAWRS BACKUP AND AUGMENTATION OBSERVERS WAS TOTALLY INADEQUATE. IT WAS 'ON PAPER' TRAINING, ACCOMPLISHED IN WHIRLWIND FASHION AND JUST ABOUT USELESS. MOST CTLRS HERE FEEL NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER TO CORRECT THE INACCURATE WX RPTED BY ASOS EQUIP, THAT OCCURS BTWN 25-50% OF THE TIME. NOR ARE THEY CORRECTED BY THEIR SUPVRS FOR NOT AUGMENTING AND BACKING UP THE WX. TO BE FAIR, IT IS A DAUNTING RESPONSIBILITY CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF WORK INVOLVED IN CORRECTING ERRORS AND AUGMENTING. THE SIT: LAST WK, I WORKED LCL CTL WHILE A SUPVR WORKED GND CTL COMBINED WITH FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY AND WAS THEREFORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASOS. LIGHTNING WAS QUITE VISIBLE LESS THAN 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AND THUNDER WAS AUDIBLE FOR OVER 20 MINS BEFORE ANOTHER CTLR (A FORMER FSS SPECIALIST) SIGNED ON AND AUGMENTED A TSTM INTO THE WX OBSERVATION. WHILE TALKING WITH OTHER CTLRS, MOST WERE UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE TSTM NOT BEING RPTED, MOST SAID THAT THE SUPVR PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT ANYWAY. AS A PLT, I WONDER IF OTHER ASOS RPTS ARE AS INACCURATE AS OURS, AND IF OTHER FACILITY PERSONNEL ARE AS APATHETIC AS OURS TO CORRECT IT. I KNOW YOU ALL CAN'T DO MUCH ABOUT THIS, BUT I FEEL BETTER HAVING TOLD SOMEONE.

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.