A cpr AC90 flight crew, relying on the AWOS WX broadcast, finds that the clouds were lower than repo...

Attributes
ACN	428173
Time
Date	199902
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aiz
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	428173
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1480 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	428152
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

We were unable to contact mizzu approach on the ground on frequency 124.1. We took off since the aiz AWOS was reporting wind 260 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 36 KTS, visibility 10 mi, 2600 ft scattered, 7000 ft broken, 9000 ft broken, temperature 14 degrees, dewpoint 6 degrees, altimeter 29.72. When we were airborne, the ceiling was actually 1000 ft broken. We were never able to pick up mizzu approach in the air. We had to fly uncontrolled until springfield approach could hear us. I feel that the AWOS inaccuracies could have led to a problem, since the WX was much lower than reported, not allowing us to climb high enough to hear their transmitter. Their transmitter had worked all the way to the ground that morning. Unfortunately, as the WX went lower, their xmissions did too. We did not feel that landing again at aiz was the answer since the crosswind was so strong and we had hit windshear of +/-20 KTS on the climb out. I feel even though everything turned out fine, and FARS and company SOP's were not broken, the incident could have easily had a bad outcome. I had even gone so far as squawking 7600 and was about to climb through the layer since the clouds were coming down and the terrain was coming up when another aircraft answered our calls and relayed our information to sgf approach. Sgf gave us a squawk code and a climb and the problem was corrected approximately 20 mins into the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain said that she attempted to call the FSS while waiting for takeoff at aiz, but all that she received was a recording with a partial message that repeated itself. She did attempt to phone the local approach control while airborne, but was unsuccessful. The xwinds were near the maximum demonstrated at aiz and she did not believe that it was reasonable to return there. This analyst discussed the limitations of AWOS with the reporter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR AC90 FLC, RELYING ON THE AWOS WX BROADCAST, FINDS THAT THE CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN RPTED AFTER TKOF AND THEY WERE THEN TOO LOW TO CONTACT AN APCH CTLR. THEY CONTINUED AT LOW ALT IN CLASS G AIRSPACE UNTIL ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH A DISTANT APCH CTL.

Narrative: WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT MIZZU APCH ON THE GND ON FREQ 124.1. WE TOOK OFF SINCE THE AIZ AWOS WAS RPTING WIND 260 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 36 KTS, VISIBILITY 10 MI, 2600 FT SCATTERED, 7000 FT BROKEN, 9000 FT BROKEN, TEMP 14 DEGS, DEWPOINT 6 DEGS, ALTIMETER 29.72. WHEN WE WERE AIRBORNE, THE CEILING WAS ACTUALLY 1000 FT BROKEN. WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO PICK UP MIZZU APCH IN THE AIR. WE HAD TO FLY UNCTLED UNTIL SPRINGFIELD APCH COULD HEAR US. I FEEL THAT THE AWOS INACCURACIES COULD HAVE LED TO A PROB, SINCE THE WX WAS MUCH LOWER THAN RPTED, NOT ALLOWING US TO CLB HIGH ENOUGH TO HEAR THEIR XMITTER. THEIR XMITTER HAD WORKED ALL THE WAY TO THE GND THAT MORNING. UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE WX WENT LOWER, THEIR XMISSIONS DID TOO. WE DID NOT FEEL THAT LNDG AGAIN AT AIZ WAS THE ANSWER SINCE THE XWIND WAS SO STRONG AND WE HAD HIT WINDSHEAR OF +/-20 KTS ON THE CLBOUT. I FEEL EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING TURNED OUT FINE, AND FARS AND COMPANY SOP'S WERE NOT BROKEN, THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE EASILY HAD A BAD OUTCOME. I HAD EVEN GONE SO FAR AS SQUAWKING 7600 AND WAS ABOUT TO CLB THROUGH THE LAYER SINCE THE CLOUDS WERE COMING DOWN AND THE TERRAIN WAS COMING UP WHEN ANOTHER ACFT ANSWERED OUR CALLS AND RELAYED OUR INFO TO SGF APCH. SGF GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AND A CLB AND THE PROB WAS CORRECTED APPROX 20 MINS INTO THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT SAID THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE FSS WHILE WAITING FOR TKOF AT AIZ, BUT ALL THAT SHE RECEIVED WAS A RECORDING WITH A PARTIAL MESSAGE THAT REPEATED ITSELF. SHE DID ATTEMPT TO PHONE THE LCL APCH CTL WHILE AIRBORNE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE XWINDS WERE NEAR THE MAX DEMONSTRATED AT AIZ AND SHE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WAS REASONABLE TO RETURN THERE. THIS ANALYST DISCUSSED THE LIMITATIONS OF AWOS WITH THE RPTR.

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.

A cpr AC90 flight crew, relying on the AWOS WX broadcast, finds that the clouds were lower than reported after takeoff and they were then too low to contact an approach controller. They continued at low altitude in class G airspace until establishing radio contact with a distant approach control.