Narrative:

My commercial pilot student (250 hours) was preparing for his long solo cross country; to be from bli to cvo; with stops at aurora; or; and centralia; wa; before returning to home base; S36. He called WX brief; and was connected to denver AFSS. The briefer told him everything along his route was clear except pae; which was reporting 400 ft overcast. He was also given a PIREP in the portland area for bases of a broken layer at 2100 ft; tops 2300 ft; but portland was reported as clear. When the student described this to me; there were several things which did not make sense. So I called WX brief. I was connected to denver. The briefer did not know where crest airpark was; did not know where S36 was; and did not know what the puget sound convergence zone was (a WX pattern which frequently generates vastly different WX over very short distances; generated by local geography). I asked him to transfer me to a sea AFSS briefer. He put me on hold and my call was answered by someone in washington; dc; AFSS. I asked again to be transferred to a sea briefer. He said he could read me the WX and he's never had a complaint. I persisted and he transferred me to a sea briefer. I explained to the sea briefer my questions (all is clear except pae) and (what about portland). The briefer said 'and the previous briefer did not check arlington; skagit; bayview; or whidbey island?' all these were low IFR; indicating that a marine layer was settled over north puget sound. In addition; stations along the I-5 corridor from sea to pdx were all IFR (tiw; grf; olm; kls) -- none of which were noted by the original briefer. As this played out; 3 hours later; bli was also IFR before it eventually burned off. These patterns are quite common in the pacific northwest. Low stratus and fog typically persist in south puget sound while sea can be clear. The only reason the student did not launch VFR into that WX is that he lives in the same house with an instructor who questioned the quality of the briefing. The flight was eventually completed after a 4 hour delay. Local WX knowledge is very important. The idea that any briefer anywhere in the country can provide a quality WX briefing is just wrong -- particularly in the northwest. The situation established by FAA in pursuit of cost savings is dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT INSTRUCTOR WORKING WITH A STUDENT PLANNING A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY RPTS RECEIVING AN INACCURATE AND INCOMPLETE WX BRIEF FROM FSS.

Narrative: MY COMMERCIAL PLT STUDENT (250 HRS) WAS PREPARING FOR HIS LONG SOLO CROSS COUNTRY; TO BE FROM BLI TO CVO; WITH STOPS AT AURORA; OR; AND CENTRALIA; WA; BEFORE RETURNING TO HOME BASE; S36. HE CALLED WX BRIEF; AND WAS CONNECTED TO DENVER AFSS. THE BRIEFER TOLD HIM EVERYTHING ALONG HIS RTE WAS CLEAR EXCEPT PAE; WHICH WAS REPORTING 400 FT OVERCAST. HE WAS ALSO GIVEN A PIREP IN THE PORTLAND AREA FOR BASES OF A BROKEN LAYER AT 2100 FT; TOPS 2300 FT; BUT PORTLAND WAS REPORTED AS CLEAR. WHEN THE STUDENT DESCRIBED THIS TO ME; THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS WHICH DID NOT MAKE SENSE. SO I CALLED WX BRIEF. I WAS CONNECTED TO DENVER. THE BRIEFER DID NOT KNOW WHERE CREST AIRPARK WAS; DID NOT KNOW WHERE S36 WAS; AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PUGET SOUND CONVERGENCE ZONE WAS (A WX PATTERN WHICH FREQUENTLY GENERATES VASTLY DIFFERENT WX OVER VERY SHORT DISTANCES; GENERATED BY LOCAL GEOGRAPHY). I ASKED HIM TO TRANSFER ME TO A SEA AFSS BRIEFER. HE PUT ME ON HOLD AND MY CALL WAS ANSWERED BY SOMEONE IN WASHINGTON; DC; AFSS. I ASKED AGAIN TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A SEA BRIEFER. HE SAID HE COULD READ ME THE WX AND HE'S NEVER HAD A COMPLAINT. I PERSISTED AND HE TRANSFERRED ME TO A SEA BRIEFER. I EXPLAINED TO THE SEA BRIEFER MY QUESTIONS (ALL IS CLEAR EXCEPT PAE) AND (WHAT ABOUT PORTLAND). THE BRIEFER SAID 'AND THE PREVIOUS BRIEFER DID NOT CHK ARLINGTON; SKAGIT; BAYVIEW; OR WHIDBEY ISLAND?' ALL THESE WERE LOW IFR; INDICATING THAT A MARINE LAYER WAS SETTLED OVER NORTH PUGET SOUND. IN ADDITION; STATIONS ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR FROM SEA TO PDX WERE ALL IFR (TIW; GRF; OLM; KLS) -- NONE OF WHICH WERE NOTED BY THE ORIGINAL BRIEFER. AS THIS PLAYED OUT; 3 HRS LATER; BLI WAS ALSO IFR BEFORE IT EVENTUALLY BURNED OFF. THESE PATTERNS ARE QUITE COMMON IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. LOW STRATUS AND FOG TYPICALLY PERSIST IN SOUTH PUGET SOUND WHILE SEA CAN BE CLR. THE ONLY REASON THE STUDENT DID NOT LAUNCH VFR INTO THAT WX IS THAT HE LIVES IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH AN INSTRUCTOR WHO QUESTIONED THE QUALITY OF THE BRIEFING. THE FLT WAS EVENTUALLY COMPLETED AFTER A 4 HR DELAY. LOCAL WX KNOWLEDGE IS VERY IMPORTANT. THE IDEA THAT ANY BRIEFER ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY CAN PROVIDE A QUALITY WX BRIEFING IS JUST WRONG -- PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTHWEST. THE SITUATION ESTABLISHED BY FAA IN PURSUIT OF COST SAVINGS IS DANGEROUS.

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.