Narrative:

The tower at ixd has ASOS as their primary WX tool. When the ASOS at ixd changes, the tower is to call mci with the new WX. Ixd does not call if they think ASOS is wrong. We have 1 WX and ASOS sends the other WX out to everyone else in the country. Ixd will let ASOS put out speci over and over and not call mci. The personnel at ixd say they are too busy and have no training. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is a contract tower and the personnel have never been trained on the ASOS equipment. When a speci comes in they cannot turn off the alarm. Most of the time there is just one person in the tower performing all of the operations. If the WX starts to change rapidly they cannot keep up with the information. The augmentation procedures are time consuming and the controller does not have the time to keep up on all of the rapid changes. Reporter is at the approach facility and finds that he issuing visual clrncs and sending VFR pilots into IFR conditions unknowingly or holding pilots during conditions which do not really require it. The ASOS have really increased the approach controller workload. There are 3 ASOS airports under this approach control facility and they are always behind on WX. Reporter has worked with this equipment and found the best technique was to augment/override the computer and then lock it up with the information so pilots would receive the correct WX report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR RPT REGARDING THE LACK OF UPDATE OF ATIS INFO FROM TWR DURING CHANGING WX CONDITIONS. THIS CAUSES APCH TO GIVE MISINFO TO PLTS.

Narrative: THE TWR AT IXD HAS ASOS AS THEIR PRIMARY WX TOOL. WHEN THE ASOS AT IXD CHANGES, THE TWR IS TO CALL MCI WITH THE NEW WX. IXD DOES NOT CALL IF THEY THINK ASOS IS WRONG. WE HAVE 1 WX AND ASOS SENDS THE OTHER WX OUT TO EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. IXD WILL LET ASOS PUT OUT SPECI OVER AND OVER AND NOT CALL MCI. THE PERSONNEL AT IXD SAY THEY ARE TOO BUSY AND HAVE NO TRAINING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS A CONTRACT TWR AND THE PERSONNEL HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED ON THE ASOS EQUIP. WHEN A SPECI COMES IN THEY CANNOT TURN OFF THE ALARM. MOST OF THE TIME THERE IS JUST ONE PERSON IN THE TWR PERFORMING ALL OF THE OPS. IF THE WX STARTS TO CHANGE RAPIDLY THEY CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE INFO. THE AUGMENTATION PROCS ARE TIME CONSUMING AND THE CTLR DOES NOT HAVE THE TIME TO KEEP UP ON ALL OF THE RAPID CHANGES. RPTR IS AT THE APCH FACILITY AND FINDS THAT HE ISSUING VISUAL CLRNCS AND SENDING VFR PLTS INTO IFR CONDITIONS UNKNOWINGLY OR HOLDING PLTS DURING CONDITIONS WHICH DO NOT REALLY REQUIRE IT. THE ASOS HAVE REALLY INCREASED THE APCH CTLR WORKLOAD. THERE ARE 3 ASOS ARPTS UNDER THIS APCH CTL FACILITY AND THEY ARE ALWAYS BEHIND ON WX. RPTR HAS WORKED WITH THIS EQUIP AND FOUND THE BEST TECHNIQUE WAS TO AUGMENT/OVERRIDE THE COMPUTER AND THEN LOCK IT UP WITH THE INFO SO PLTS WOULD RECEIVE THE CORRECT WX RPT.

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.