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Dispatcher complains of inaccurate ASOS reports at mem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 459984 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| ASRS Report | 459984 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company ATC Facility Weather |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
On jan/xa/00 I worked XA30 to XH00 jan/tue/00. Aircraft dispatched for air carrier. I dispatched to mem. During night mem forecast clear visibility 6+M mi. Reported temperature/dewpoints: XB05Z +8 degrees -7 degrees C, XB06Z +9 degrees -8 degrees C, XB07Z +8 degrees -7 degrees C, XB08Z +8 degrees -7 degrees C, XB09Z +8 degrees -5 degrees C, XB10Z +9 degrees -1 degree C, XB11Z +9 degrees -0 degrees C with 6 overcast. Both national WX service and air carrier metropolitan forecast blown. I amended fuel/alternates on 23 flts inbound to mem. One as he taxied for takeoff. The flow was ASOS WX reporting has no monitor control. The dewpoints for mem were bogus. Dispatchers -- at least this one -- monitor forecasts by following trends at forecast stations. I watch temperature/dewpoint spreads. Surface winds, winds aloft, I had no spread and fog along gulf coast gpt, btr, msy and was concerned that moisture could effect mem. The temperature/dewpoint false reporting allowed low scud to move into mem without warning. Solution: find a way technically to monitor items in ASOS WX reporting to allow the user to know if he is getting a false/bogus report. This is third world technology being imposed on the aviation community. Is safety of flight a factor? I think so. Shall we pay the price to correct ASOS flaws? I hope so.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DISPATCHER COMPLAINS OF INACCURATE ASOS RPTS AT MEM.
Narrative: ON JAN/XA/00 I WORKED XA30 TO XH00 JAN/TUE/00. ACFT DISPATCHED FOR ACR. I DISPATCHED TO MEM. DURING NIGHT MEM FORECAST CLR VISIBILITY 6+M MI. RPTED TEMP/DEWPOINTS: XB05Z +8 DEGS -7 DEGS C, XB06Z +9 DEGS -8 DEGS C, XB07Z +8 DEGS -7 DEGS C, XB08Z +8 DEGS -7 DEGS C, XB09Z +8 DEGS -5 DEGS C, XB10Z +9 DEGS -1 DEG C, XB11Z +9 DEGS -0 DEGS C WITH 6 OVCST. BOTH NATIONAL WX SVC AND ACR METRO FORECAST BLOWN. I AMENDED FUEL/ALTERNATES ON 23 FLTS INBOUND TO MEM. ONE AS HE TAXIED FOR TKOF. THE FLOW WAS ASOS WX RPTING HAS NO MONITOR CTL. THE DEWPOINTS FOR MEM WERE BOGUS. DISPATCHERS -- AT LEAST THIS ONE -- MONITOR FORECASTS BY FOLLOWING TRENDS AT FORECAST STATIONS. I WATCH TEMP/DEWPOINT SPREADS. SURFACE WINDS, WINDS ALOFT, I HAD NO SPREAD AND FOG ALONG GULF COAST GPT, BTR, MSY AND WAS CONCERNED THAT MOISTURE COULD EFFECT MEM. THE TEMP/DEWPOINT FALSE RPTING ALLOWED LOW SCUD TO MOVE INTO MEM WITHOUT WARNING. SOLUTION: FIND A WAY TECHNICALLY TO MONITOR ITEMS IN ASOS WX RPTING TO ALLOW THE USER TO KNOW IF HE IS GETTING A FALSE/BOGUS RPT. THIS IS THIRD WORLD TECHNOLOGY BEING IMPOSED ON THE AVIATION COMMUNITY. IS SAFETY OF FLT A FACTOR? I THINK SO. SHALL WE PAY THE PRICE TO CORRECT ASOS FLAWS? I HOPE SO.
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.