Narrative:

As I was preparing for departure; I was concerned about WX developing in the middle of the country. I had seen the WX channel in the hotel room some 1.5 hours prior; where reports of grapefruit size hail; winds in excess of 80 mph; and tornados reported in kansas. Concerned about the level of violent WX so early in the day; I went to the gate and asked for the WX to be pulled up on the company site. I was informed by a somewhat sarcastic agent that 'we don't have anything like that here.' 'you will need to go to the tower for that kind of stuff.' I asked where the tower was; and was informed I would need to be escorted. A second agent volunteered to take me there. Along the way; she mentioned that 'in 22 yrs; you are the first person to ask for this.' I suggested that perhaps so; but it needed to be done anyway. Upon reaching the tower; the personnel there also seemed dumbfounded at my request to see the WX charts. I was told they have a repeater from the local tv station; but nothing of the sort I had asked. I thanked them for their time and left. Returning to the gate; I asked to speak to my dispatcher; and was handed a phone from under the podium. I explained that this was not a conversation I intended to have in front of passenger; and was there a more private location? I was sent to the jetway. I phoned the dispatcher; informed him of my concern and the dilemma of not having adequate WX briefing tools. I asked him for an 'old fashioned WX briefing.' we discussed the rapidly growing intense WX system; and the routing planned. We also discussed the likelihood of more intensity since lifted index was -6 and the surface temperatures and humidity were higher than norm for that time of day. I could do no more; thanked him; and returned to the airplane. WX -- especially severe WX -- is the single biggest threat to safety; and the one aspect we have no control to change. Our only recourse is planning and avoidance. Joint dispatcher/captain authority/authorized is a concept born from the long history of WX related accidents; many of which started with inadvertent penetration of severe WX at high altitude. However; without the necessary tools readily available to pilots when operating at outstations; the formula is; for practical purposes; operating at only 50% and is non-compliant with FARS; and smacks of 'pilot pushing.' we have had better; more complete information in the past and must; in the interest of safety; have better more complete information going forward. The current system is heavily dependant on station personnel who have no real knowledge or appreciation for the importance of this information; and is completely inadequate for operating across areas of the north american continent situated between essentially 2 very shallow oceans that have high evaporation rates. Act now before it is necessary to have a full-blown investigation by FAA air carrier division or; god forbid; an NTSB investigation post accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT LAMENTS THE LACK OF A PROPER WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO FLIGHT NEAR HEAVY WEATHER.

Narrative: AS I WAS PREPARING FOR DEP; I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WX DEVELOPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY. I HAD SEEN THE WX CHANNEL IN THE HOTEL ROOM SOME 1.5 HRS PRIOR; WHERE RPTS OF GRAPEFRUIT SIZE HAIL; WINDS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH; AND TORNADOS RPTED IN KANSAS. CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEVEL OF VIOLENT WX SO EARLY IN THE DAY; I WENT TO THE GATE AND ASKED FOR THE WX TO BE PULLED UP ON THE COMPANY SITE. I WAS INFORMED BY A SOMEWHAT SARCASTIC AGENT THAT 'WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT HERE.' 'YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO THE TWR FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF.' I ASKED WHERE THE TWR WAS; AND WAS INFORMED I WOULD NEED TO BE ESCORTED. A SECOND AGENT VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE ME THERE. ALONG THE WAY; SHE MENTIONED THAT 'IN 22 YRS; YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO ASK FOR THIS.' I SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS SO; BUT IT NEEDED TO BE DONE ANYWAY. UPON REACHING THE TWR; THE PERSONNEL THERE ALSO SEEMED DUMBFOUNDED AT MY REQUEST TO SEE THE WX CHARTS. I WAS TOLD THEY HAVE A REPEATER FROM THE LCL TV STATION; BUT NOTHING OF THE SORT I HAD ASKED. I THANKED THEM FOR THEIR TIME AND LEFT. RETURNING TO THE GATE; I ASKED TO SPEAK TO MY DISPATCHER; AND WAS HANDED A PHONE FROM UNDER THE PODIUM. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS NOT A CONVERSATION I INTENDED TO HAVE IN FRONT OF PAX; AND WAS THERE A MORE PVT LOCATION? I WAS SENT TO THE JETWAY. I PHONED THE DISPATCHER; INFORMED HIM OF MY CONCERN AND THE DILEMMA OF NOT HAVING ADEQUATE WX BRIEFING TOOLS. I ASKED HIM FOR AN 'OLD FASHIONED WX BRIEFING.' WE DISCUSSED THE RAPIDLY GROWING INTENSE WX SYS; AND THE ROUTING PLANNED. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE LIKELIHOOD OF MORE INTENSITY SINCE LIFTED INDEX WAS -6 AND THE SURFACE TEMPS AND HUMIDITY WERE HIGHER THAN NORM FOR THAT TIME OF DAY. I COULD DO NO MORE; THANKED HIM; AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE. WX -- ESPECIALLY SEVERE WX -- IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST THREAT TO SAFETY; AND THE ONE ASPECT WE HAVE NO CTL TO CHANGE. OUR ONLY RECOURSE IS PLANNING AND AVOIDANCE. JOINT DISPATCHER/CAPT AUTH IS A CONCEPT BORN FROM THE LONG HISTORY OF WX RELATED ACCIDENTS; MANY OF WHICH STARTED WITH INADVERTENT PENETRATION OF SEVERE WX AT HIGH ALT. HOWEVER; WITHOUT THE NECESSARY TOOLS READILY AVAILABLE TO PLTS WHEN OPERATING AT OUTSTATIONS; THE FORMULA IS; FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES; OPERATING AT ONLY 50% AND IS NON-COMPLIANT WITH FARS; AND SMACKS OF 'PLT PUSHING.' WE HAVE HAD BETTER; MORE COMPLETE INFO IN THE PAST AND MUST; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; HAVE BETTER MORE COMPLETE INFO GOING FORWARD. THE CURRENT SYS IS HEAVILY DEPENDANT ON STATION PERSONNEL WHO HAVE NO REAL KNOWLEDGE OR APPRECIATION FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS INFO; AND IS COMPLETELY INADEQUATE FOR OPERATING ACROSS AREAS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT SITUATED BTWN ESSENTIALLY 2 VERY SHALLOW OCEANS THAT HAVE HIGH EVAPORATION RATES. ACT NOW BEFORE IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A FULL-BLOWN INVESTIGATION BY FAA ACR DIVISION OR; GOD FORBID; AN NTSB INVESTIGATION POST ACCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.