Narrative:

This report is general in nature. The flight listed above happens to be the last time the issue came to my attention. The seattle WX that evening was a rain/snow mixture with below freezing temperatures at the surface. Runway plowing and chemical treating was in progress; and prior to top of descent; a field condition report was requested via ACARS. The report that was generated bore no resemblance to actual field conditions; for the good reason that it was 3 weeks old. I have noticed this before. Apparently once a field condition report is issued; the computer keeps it in memory and regenerates it indefinitely whenever requested unless a replacing field condition report is issued; sometimes weeks or months after the day in question. Very often no replacing/canceling report is issued. Under separate cover; I am sending a particularly egregious example of this: the WX for idaho falls earlier this yr -- a field condition report listing the runway as 'bare and dry' was issued once during the month. Over 2 weeks later; this was still being merrily printed out with each WX request; at the same time as there were NOTAMS listing ice on the runways with mu meter readings as low as 22. In this instance; the airport auths used NOTAMS rather than a field condition report to advise of the runway conditions; and the old field condition report was still in our computer system. A flight crew inbound to the field calling up field condition information on ACARS would have received a report of 'bare and dry.' this is; to say the least; a sub-optimal arrangement. May I respectfully suggest that field condition reports be automatically erased 24 hours after issue.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FO RPTS COMPANY'S COMPUTER SYS RETAINS FIELD CONDITION RPTS WELL BEYOND WHEN THEY ARE STILL ACCURATE AND TIMELY UPDATES ARE NOT ALWAYS FORTHCOMING.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS GENERAL IN NATURE. THE FLT LISTED ABOVE HAPPENS TO BE THE LAST TIME THE ISSUE CAME TO MY ATTN. THE SEATTLE WX THAT EVENING WAS A RAIN/SNOW MIXTURE WITH BELOW FREEZING TEMPS AT THE SURFACE. RWY PLOWING AND CHEMICAL TREATING WAS IN PROGRESS; AND PRIOR TO TOP OF DSCNT; A FIELD CONDITION RPT WAS REQUESTED VIA ACARS. THE RPT THAT WAS GENERATED BORE NO RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL FIELD CONDITIONS; FOR THE GOOD REASON THAT IT WAS 3 WKS OLD. I HAVE NOTICED THIS BEFORE. APPARENTLY ONCE A FIELD CONDITION RPT IS ISSUED; THE COMPUTER KEEPS IT IN MEMORY AND REGENERATES IT INDEFINITELY WHENEVER REQUESTED UNLESS A REPLACING FIELD CONDITION RPT IS ISSUED; SOMETIMES WKS OR MONTHS AFTER THE DAY IN QUESTION. VERY OFTEN NO REPLACING/CANCELING RPT IS ISSUED. UNDER SEPARATE COVER; I AM SENDING A PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS EXAMPLE OF THIS: THE WX FOR IDAHO FALLS EARLIER THIS YR -- A FIELD CONDITION RPT LISTING THE RWY AS 'BARE AND DRY' WAS ISSUED ONCE DURING THE MONTH. OVER 2 WKS LATER; THIS WAS STILL BEING MERRILY PRINTED OUT WITH EACH WX REQUEST; AT THE SAME TIME AS THERE WERE NOTAMS LISTING ICE ON THE RWYS WITH MU METER READINGS AS LOW AS 22. IN THIS INSTANCE; THE ARPT AUTHS USED NOTAMS RATHER THAN A FIELD CONDITION RPT TO ADVISE OF THE RWY CONDITIONS; AND THE OLD FIELD CONDITION RPT WAS STILL IN OUR COMPUTER SYS. A FLT CREW INBOUND TO THE FIELD CALLING UP FIELD CONDITION INFO ON ACARS WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A RPT OF 'BARE AND DRY.' THIS IS; TO SAY THE LEAST; A SUB-OPTIMAL ARRANGEMENT. MAY I RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THAT FIELD CONDITION RPTS BE AUTOMATICALLY ERASED 24 HRS AFTER ISSUE.

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.