Narrative:

This is written solely to express concern brought about by recent events pertaining to the consolidation of flight service stations throughout the united states. Locally, the flight service station at jamestown will be closing on march tue 1988. Not at this station, but at several others, airlines and airline personnel will be taking the contracts for providing WX observations. I have noted on various occasions at our station where airline personnel (the airline flies commuter flts four times daily, and they share the same building at the airport that we occupy) have come over asking us to up the WX a bit so that the flight can get in or out. All specialists at this station have noticed this, and all have refused to change the report. This has not led to a big scene or anything, but it does raise the question of what will occur (or does occur) at stations where the airline does or will be doing WX observations. Consider this situation. An airliner is due in at an airport. WX that is needed for the approach is 200 and 1/2 mi. Actual WX is just below that. Airline WX observers put in 200-1/2 on their observation. That gets transmitted on the circuit. A low time IFR pilot sees that report, has little IFR in instrument conditions, decides to shoot approach. Granted, when the IFR pilot reaches decision height, he should execute missed approach, but the WX report being inaccurate, that takes away some of the safety built into the system. If something goes wrong, and an accident occurs, the error would be on the part of the pilot, even though the actual WX may be lower than indicated. Could be a problem sometime.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX OBSERVATIONS MADE BY QUALIFIED AIRLINE PERSONNEL.

Narrative: THIS IS WRITTEN SOLELY TO EXPRESS CONCERN BROUGHT ABOUT BY RECENT EVENTS PERTAINING TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF FLT SVC STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. LOCALLY, THE FLT SVC STATION AT JAMESTOWN WILL BE CLOSING ON MARCH TUE 1988. NOT AT THIS STATION, BUT AT SEVERAL OTHERS, AIRLINES AND AIRLINE PERSONNEL WILL BE TAKING THE CONTRACTS FOR PROVIDING WX OBSERVATIONS. I HAVE NOTED ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS AT OUR STATION WHERE AIRLINE PERSONNEL (THE AIRLINE FLIES COMMUTER FLTS FOUR TIMES DAILY, AND THEY SHARE THE SAME BUILDING AT THE ARPT THAT WE OCCUPY) HAVE COME OVER ASKING US TO UP THE WX A BIT SO THAT THE FLT CAN GET IN OR OUT. ALL SPECIALISTS AT THIS STATION HAVE NOTICED THIS, AND ALL HAVE REFUSED TO CHANGE THE RPT. THIS HAS NOT LED TO A BIG SCENE OR ANYTHING, BUT IT DOES RAISE THE QUESTION OF WHAT WILL OCCUR (OR DOES OCCUR) AT STATIONS WHERE THE AIRLINE DOES OR WILL BE DOING WX OBSERVATIONS. CONSIDER THIS SITUATION. AN AIRLINER IS DUE IN AT AN ARPT. WX THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE APCH IS 200 AND 1/2 MI. ACTUAL WX IS JUST BELOW THAT. AIRLINE WX OBSERVERS PUT IN 200-1/2 ON THEIR OBSERVATION. THAT GETS TRANSMITTED ON THE CIRCUIT. A LOW TIME IFR PLT SEES THAT RPT, HAS LITTLE IFR IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS, DECIDES TO SHOOT APCH. GRANTED, WHEN THE IFR PLT REACHES DECISION HEIGHT, HE SHOULD EXECUTE MISSED APCH, BUT THE WX RPT BEING INACCURATE, THAT TAKES AWAY SOME OF THE SAFETY BUILT INTO THE SYS. IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, AND AN ACCIDENT OCCURS, THE ERROR WOULD BE ON THE PART OF THE PLT, EVEN THOUGH THE ACTUAL WX MAY BE LOWER THAN INDICATED. COULD BE A PROBLEM SOMETIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.