Narrative:

On tuesday morning, thunderstorms impacted stl arrs and departures. Recently at air carrier's hub at stl, with fast moving cumulo nimbus, during both an arrival and the next departure, aboard 2 different MD80 aircraft, I was unable to receive the data-linked real time update from local terminal WX information processor. It appears that currently, as during last yr's thunderstorm season, terminal WX information processor remains inhibited or disabled to certain air carrier MD80's. Air carrier operates a part 121 airline, with multiple main hubs. Hub locations frequently impacted by severe WX threats during thunderstorm season. Air carrier training departments acknowledged the weakness with their aircraft's onboard WX radar is not a perfect tool for WX avoidance, especially when pilots attempt to use WX radar during low altitude maneuvering, near the terminal area, as the sole means for avoidance of rapidly building or fast-moving circuit breaker cells. The automated terminal information processor data-link to terminal doppler WX radar is a critically important tool, which helps me (a line pilot) overcome those weaknesses of our onboard WX radar. It appears that FAA oversight has not been effective in correcting those system failures. It appears several dozen air carrier aircraft still are not receiving terminal WX information processor. This direct pilot link to tdwr (terminal WX information processor) also helps pilots rectify the problem of misleading or overly optimistic reports (a human's minimizing or dismissing a threat posed by nearby cells) from dispatchers or controllers. In several instances, approach controllers have failed to inform me about microburst event disclosed only on the terminal WX information processor. This disabling, or failure to provide, the FAA's terminal WX information processor products to pilots of several dozen airliners is simple misconduct by operations' management. After the march 2002 attempted reactivation of terminal WX information processor to air carrier aircraft, still only about half of the air carrier MD80 fleet were actually capable of that terminal WX information processor data-link (only those MD80's with touch-screen ACARS were enabled to receive terminal WX information processor). Throughout last yr's thunderstorm season, the tdwr real-time update via terminal WX information processor was not available to many air carrier aircraft (MD80 and B757).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT IS HIGHLY DISTURBED THAT SOME OF HIS ACRS ACFT ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE 'REAL TIME TERMINAL DOPPLER WX RADAR' DATA.

Narrative: ON TUESDAY MORNING, TSTMS IMPACTED STL ARRS AND DEPS. RECENTLY AT ACR'S HUB AT STL, WITH FAST MOVING CUMULO NIMBUS, DURING BOTH AN ARR AND THE NEXT DEP, ABOARD 2 DIFFERENT MD80 ACFT, I WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE DATA-LINKED REAL TIME UPDATE FROM LCL TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR. IT APPEARS THAT CURRENTLY, AS DURING LAST YR'S TSTM SEASON, TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR REMAINS INHIBITED OR DISABLED TO CERTAIN ACR MD80'S. ACR OPERATES A PART 121 AIRLINE, WITH MULTIPLE MAIN HUBS. HUB LOCATIONS FREQUENTLY IMPACTED BY SEVERE WX THREATS DURING TSTM SEASON. ACR TRAINING DEPTS ACKNOWLEDGED THE WEAKNESS WITH THEIR ACFT'S ONBOARD WX RADAR IS NOT A PERFECT TOOL FOR WX AVOIDANCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN PLTS ATTEMPT TO USE WX RADAR DURING LOW ALT MANEUVERING, NEAR THE TERMINAL AREA, AS THE SOLE MEANS FOR AVOIDANCE OF RAPIDLY BUILDING OR FAST-MOVING CIRCUIT BREAKER CELLS. THE AUTOMATED TERMINAL INFO PROCESSOR DATA-LINK TO TERMINAL DOPPLER WX RADAR IS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TOOL, WHICH HELPS ME (A LINE PLT) OVERCOME THOSE WEAKNESSES OF OUR ONBOARD WX RADAR. IT APPEARS THAT FAA OVERSIGHT HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE IN CORRECTING THOSE SYS FAILURES. IT APPEARS SEVERAL DOZEN ACR ACFT STILL ARE NOT RECEIVING TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR. THIS DIRECT PLT LINK TO TDWR (TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR) ALSO HELPS PLTS RECTIFY THE PROB OF MISLEADING OR OVERLY OPTIMISTIC RPTS (A HUMAN'S MINIMIZING OR DISMISSING A THREAT POSED BY NEARBY CELLS) FROM DISPATCHERS OR CTLRS. IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, APCH CTLRS HAVE FAILED TO INFORM ME ABOUT MICROBURST EVENT DISCLOSED ONLY ON THE TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR. THIS DISABLING, OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE, THE FAA'S TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR PRODUCTS TO PLTS OF SEVERAL DOZEN AIRLINERS IS SIMPLE MISCONDUCT BY OPS' MGMNT. AFTER THE MARCH 2002 ATTEMPTED REACTIVATION OF TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR TO ACR ACFT, STILL ONLY ABOUT HALF OF THE ACR MD80 FLEET WERE ACTUALLY CAPABLE OF THAT TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR DATA-LINK (ONLY THOSE MD80'S WITH TOUCH-SCREEN ACARS WERE ENABLED TO RECEIVE TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR). THROUGHOUT LAST YR'S TSTM SEASON, THE TDWR REAL-TIME UPDATE VIA TERMINAL WX INFO PROCESSOR WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO MANY ACR ACFT (MD80 AND B757).

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.