Narrative:

The reason for my report is to point out the difficulty in receiving dkk's ASOS when arriving from the east at all altitudes below 18000 ft MSL until about 25 NM east of the airport. By not being able to receive dkk's ASOS farther out; a pilot has difficulty planning a proper arrival into dkk; including deciding whether an instrument approach is required and what instrument approach to request and brief. Additionally; pilots arriving from the east cannot state that they have current WX at dkk when checking in with buffalo approach; the controling approach facility for the airspace above western ny state; due to this difficulty. What causes the problem in reception is that the wellsville airport (elz) ASOS broadcasts on the same frequency as the dkk ASOS. Wellsville airport is located about 61 NM e-se of dkk. For aircraft that are arriving into dkk from the east; the wellsville ASOS overpowers the dkk ASOS until about 25 miles to the east of dkk; where at that time it is possible to receive a more powerful dkk ASOS. Since wellsville airport is located in the hills of southern ny; whereas dkk is located along the shores of lake erie; the difference in weather between the two airports is almost always dramatic; rendering wellsville ASOS unusable for aircraft arriving in dkk. Given the fact that this part of ny does not contain a lot of airports; in my opinion these two ASOS services should not be broadcasting on the same frequencys. Instead; these two services should be given their own discrete frequencys. If there were separate frequencys for these two ASOS services; pilots arriving into dkk from the east would be able to receive dkk's ASOS much earlier and therefore have more time to plan a proper approach and landing into dkk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT ADVISES ASOS AT DKK IS UNAVAILABLE UNTIL WITHIN 25 MILES OF THE ARPT. DOES NOT ALLOW TIME FOR PROPER IFR ARR PREPARATION. FREQ CONFLICTS WITH ASOS AT ELZ WHEN ARRIVING FROM THE E.

Narrative: THE REASON FOR MY RPT IS TO POINT OUT THE DIFFICULTY IN RECEIVING DKK'S ASOS WHEN ARRIVING FROM THE E AT ALL ALTS BELOW 18000 FT MSL UNTIL ABOUT 25 NM E OF THE ARPT. BY NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE DKK'S ASOS FARTHER OUT; A PLT HAS DIFFICULTY PLANNING A PROPER ARR INTO DKK; INCLUDING DECIDING WHETHER AN INSTRUMENT APCH IS REQUIRED AND WHAT INSTRUMENT APCH TO REQUEST AND BRIEF. ADDITIONALLY; PLTS ARRIVING FROM THE E CANNOT STATE THAT THEY HAVE CURRENT WX AT DKK WHEN CHKING IN WITH BUFFALO APCH; THE CTLING APCH FACILITY FOR THE AIRSPACE ABOVE WESTERN NY STATE; DUE TO THIS DIFFICULTY. WHAT CAUSES THE PROB IN RECEPTION IS THAT THE WELLSVILLE ARPT (ELZ) ASOS BROADCASTS ON THE SAME FREQ AS THE DKK ASOS. WELLSVILLE ARPT IS LOCATED ABOUT 61 NM E-SE OF DKK. FOR ACFT THAT ARE ARRIVING INTO DKK FROM THE E; THE WELLSVILLE ASOS OVERPOWERS THE DKK ASOS UNTIL ABOUT 25 MILES TO THE E OF DKK; WHERE AT THAT TIME IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE A MORE POWERFUL DKK ASOS. SINCE WELLSVILLE ARPT IS LOCATED IN THE HILLS OF SOUTHERN NY; WHEREAS DKK IS LOCATED ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE ERIE; THE DIFFERENCE IN WEATHER BETWEEN THE TWO ARPTS IS ALMOST ALWAYS DRAMATIC; RENDERING WELLSVILLE ASOS UNUSABLE FOR ACFT ARRIVING IN DKK. GIVEN THE FACT THAT THIS PART OF NY DOES NOT CONTAIN A LOT OF ARPTS; IN MY OPINION THESE TWO ASOS SERVICES SHOULD NOT BE BROADCASTING ON THE SAME FREQS. INSTEAD; THESE TWO SERVICES SHOULD BE GIVEN THEIR OWN DISCRETE FREQS. IF THERE WERE SEPARATE FREQS FOR THESE TWO ASOS SERVICES; PLTS ARRIVING INTO DKK FROM THE E WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE DKK'S ASOS MUCH EARLIER AND THEREFORE HAVE MORE TIME TO PLAN A PROPER APCH AND LNDG INTO DKK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.