Narrative:

Ixd and gvw towers use ASOS for their WX. Neither of these towers call with every speci WX that ASOS generates. On this day I was vectoring for ixd with a C560. The reported WX was 1 1/2 SM in fog, overcast 003. The C560 told me that ASOS was reporting visibility 1/4 mi in fog VV001. They could not shoot the approach and had to go to mkc. I also had 4 other aircraft inbound to ixd. These aircraft had the wrong WX and also had to go to other airports. The speci had been out for 30 mins. The FAA says that these are contract towers and there is nothing that they can do. Soon we will take a VFR aircraft to one of these airports and the airport will be IFR and we will have given the VFR aircraft the wrong WX. I believe it will take an accident for the FAA to act. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the main problem with the ASOS at ixd and gvw (both contract towers) is controller training. He states the controllers at these 2 facilities have not had any training on the ASOS equipment and just don't have the time to watch it and verify the authenticity of the observations. Gvw just recently made some improvements but still have occasional problems. Cites a recent problem of trying to make a handoff on an IFR arrival and was told by the controller at gvw that they (gvw) did not have time to take the information. The 2 towers were never FAA facilities but are currently controller staffed with a mix of ex-military, retired FAA, and some who were FAA training failures. Reporter said a ucr has not been filed but the hotline was used with no response received. Also said a large number of aircraft have complained to the facility about the service into the 2 airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR CLAIMS 2 CONTRACT TWRS ARE NOT PROVIDING THE APCH FACILITY WITH UPDATED WX FOR THE ARPTS.

Narrative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

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.