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An air carrier super 80 taxies for takeoff and while waiting for further clearance, flight crew notices that with wind measuring equipment OTS, tower does nothing to give estimates of wind for takeoff aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 380054 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 380054 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Location: dca runway 36 holding pad. During a short wait in the holding pad for our closeout numbers, I observed and heard repeated tower reported wind as 'estimated calm, wind measuring equipment out of service.' aircraft were landing and departing runways 33 and 36. Based on our good view of the south infield windsock, observed for about 2 mins before I radioed my estimate, we called tower with a wind estimate of 150 degrees 8 KTS. Immediately after my call, an air carrier aircraft on short final volunteered his onboard wind readout of 140 degrees 12 KTS. I was under the impression that tower personnel are trained and certified to observe sock winds and generate an estimate. If I am incorrect, safety would still have been notably better served, with aircraft landing on still wet runways, if a controller had used his field glasses on the south boundary sock.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR SUPER 80 TAXIES FOR TKOF AND WHILE WAITING FOR FURTHER CLRNC, FLC NOTICES THAT WITH WIND MEASURING EQUIP OTS, TWR DOES NOTHING TO GIVE ESTIMATES OF WIND FOR TKOF ACFT.
Narrative: LOCATION: DCA RWY 36 HOLDING PAD. DURING A SHORT WAIT IN THE HOLDING PAD FOR OUR CLOSEOUT NUMBERS, I OBSERVED AND HEARD REPEATED TWR RPTED WIND AS 'ESTIMATED CALM, WIND MEASURING EQUIP OUT OF SVC.' ACFT WERE LNDG AND DEPARTING RWYS 33 AND 36. BASED ON OUR GOOD VIEW OF THE S INFIELD WINDSOCK, OBSERVED FOR ABOUT 2 MINS BEFORE I RADIOED MY ESTIMATE, WE CALLED TWR WITH A WIND ESTIMATE OF 150 DEGS 8 KTS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY CALL, AN ACR ACFT ON SHORT FINAL VOLUNTEERED HIS ONBOARD WIND READOUT OF 140 DEGS 12 KTS. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TWR PERSONNEL ARE TRAINED AND CERTIFIED TO OBSERVE SOCK WINDS AND GENERATE AN ESTIMATE. IF I AM INCORRECT, SAFETY WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN NOTABLY BETTER SERVED, WITH ACFT LNDG ON STILL WET RWYS, IF A CTLR HAD USED HIS FIELD GLASSES ON THE S BOUNDARY SOCK.
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.