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Air carrier dispatcher reports WX service using way points that no longer exist to locate WX phenomena in the western atlantic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 796591 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pne.tower |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| ASRS Report | 796591 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Thunderstorm SIGMET was issued for thunderstorms associated with thunderstorm. The 4 points that were referenced on the SIGMET in the western atlantic do not exist any longer and are not on any chart. This has been brought to the WX service's attention at least 4 times that I know of and they have been asked to stop issuing the sigmets using these points and start issuing them using latitude/longitude. The flight crews have no idea in reality what areas these sigmets cover. It is a total waste of time and is unsafe for these sigmets to be issued with invalid points. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after several requests; this WX service has updated their database and the problem reported no longer exists.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR DISPATCHER REPORTS WX SERVICE USING WAY POINTS THAT NO LONGER EXIST TO LOCATE WX PHENOMENA IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC.
Narrative: TSTM SIGMET WAS ISSUED FOR TSTMS ASSOCIATED WITH TSTM. THE 4 POINTS THAT WERE REFED ON THE SIGMET IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC DO NOT EXIST ANY LONGER AND ARE NOT ON ANY CHART. THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE WX SVC'S ATTN AT LEAST 4 TIMES THAT I KNOW OF AND THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO STOP ISSUING THE SIGMETS USING THESE POINTS AND START ISSUING THEM USING LATITUDE/LONGITUDE. THE FLT CREWS HAVE NO IDEA IN REALITY WHAT AREAS THESE SIGMETS COVER. IT IS A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND IS UNSAFE FOR THESE SIGMETS TO BE ISSUED WITH INVALID POINTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER SEVERAL REQUESTS; THIS WX SERVICE HAS UPDATED THEIR DATABASE AND THE PROBLEM REPORTED NO LONGER EXISTS.
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.