Narrative:

Allegheny tower has been plagued with broken equipment for the past 2 weeks. These outages appear to be chronic and are not getting the attention they should. The 'direct-reading' wind instruments are inoperative and we've been instructed to use the readings from ASOS. The readings from ASOS are not representative of the actual wind based on visual observations of the windsock and several area flags. Currently, there is no action being taken to repair this equipment. Furthermore, to obtain the readings from ASOS removes the controllers from their primary duties and we must physically walk to the ASOS which is in an inconvenient location. Also, our tower radar display is completely inoperative, creating an increased workload on us as well as the approach controllers at pit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said all of the equipment in the tower has been restored to service. He said the wind equipment will continue to be a problem because of the location of the wind sensors. He said the windsocks near the runways frequently indicate directions and velocities different than what the ASOS and wind instruments are reading. Because of the disparity observed, the controllers resort to issuing estimated wind to the pilots. He also said the d-brite may have taken so long to repair because maintenance experience level. Reporter said a recent evaluation may improve some of the recurring problems at the facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT CTLR AT AGC RPTS BECAUSE OF CHRONIC EQUIP OUTAGES CTLRS ARE WITHOUT RADAR AND MUST WALK AWAY FROM THEIR CTL POS TO OBTAIN WIND INFO FROM THE ASOS.

Narrative: ALLEGHENY TWR HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH BROKEN EQUIP FOR THE PAST 2 WKS. THESE OUTAGES APPEAR TO BE CHRONIC AND ARE NOT GETTING THE ATTN THEY SHOULD. THE 'DIRECT-READING' WIND INSTS ARE INOP AND WE'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO USE THE READINGS FROM ASOS. THE READINGS FROM ASOS ARE NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ACTUAL WIND BASED ON VISUAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE WINDSOCK AND SEVERAL AREA FLAGS. CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO ACTION BEING TAKEN TO REPAIR THIS EQUIP. FURTHERMORE, TO OBTAIN THE READINGS FROM ASOS REMOVES THE CTLRS FROM THEIR PRIMARY DUTIES AND WE MUST PHYSICALLY WALK TO THE ASOS WHICH IS IN AN INCONVENIENT LOCATION. ALSO, OUR TWR RADAR DISPLAY IS COMPLETELY INOP, CREATING AN INCREASED WORKLOAD ON US AS WELL AS THE APCH CTLRS AT PIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID ALL OF THE EQUIP IN THE TWR HAS BEEN RESTORED TO SVC. HE SAID THE WIND EQUIP WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROB BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE WIND SENSORS. HE SAID THE WINDSOCKS NEAR THE RWYS FREQUENTLY INDICATE DIRECTIONS AND VELOCITIES DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE ASOS AND WIND INSTS ARE READING. BECAUSE OF THE DISPARITY OBSERVED, THE CTLRS RESORT TO ISSUING ESTIMATED WIND TO THE PLTS. HE ALSO SAID THE D-BRITE MAY HAVE TAKEN SO LONG TO REPAIR BECAUSE MAINT EXPERIENCE LEVEL. RPTR SAID A RECENT EVALUATION MAY IMPROVE SOME OF THE RECURRING PROBS AT THE FACILITY.

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.