Air carrier widebody transport had to delay departure due to high ground temperature.

Attributes
ACN	91185
Time
Date	198807
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 16428 flight time type : 1389
ASRS Report	91185
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Trip departed gate originally with an allowable maximum gross for 93 degrees F. When abeam taxiway K, ground control announced a new ATIS temperature 104 degrees. The temperature and rate of temperature change were both extreme. Trip returned to the gate as the new temperature put trip about 19000# over gross. The temperature continued up to 105 degrees. Dispatch off headed to accommodate a temperature of 96 degrees F. Three hours later the ATIS was broadcasting 101 degrees F as the temperature, while the WX bureau was giving the temperature as 96 degrees F, according to dispatch. Company rep called the tower and the ATIS was updated to the current temperature, and trip departed for ewr. This situation points out an inconsistency in monitoring field temperature for ATIS update. Had the rising temperature not been reported I would not have the opportunity to write this report. The failure to monitor and report the down trend of the airport temperature had an economic impact. Do the established procedures dealing with ATIS updates preclude error of this nature?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB HAD TO DELAY DEP DUE TO HIGH GND TEMP.

Narrative: TRIP DEPARTED GATE ORIGINALLY WITH AN ALLOWABLE MAX GROSS FOR 93 DEGS F. WHEN ABEAM TXWY K, GND CTL ANNOUNCED A NEW ATIS TEMP 104 DEGS. THE TEMP AND RATE OF TEMP CHANGE WERE BOTH EXTREME. TRIP RETURNED TO THE GATE AS THE NEW TEMP PUT TRIP ABOUT 19000# OVER GROSS. THE TEMP CONTINUED UP TO 105 DEGS. DISPATCH OFF HEADED TO ACCOMMODATE A TEMP OF 96 DEGS F. THREE HRS LATER THE ATIS WAS BROADCASTING 101 DEGS F AS THE TEMP, WHILE THE WX BUREAU WAS GIVING THE TEMP AS 96 DEGS F, ACCORDING TO DISPATCH. COMPANY REP CALLED THE TWR AND THE ATIS WAS UPDATED TO THE CURRENT TEMP, AND TRIP DEPARTED FOR EWR. THIS SITUATION POINTS OUT AN INCONSISTENCY IN MONITORING FIELD TEMP FOR ATIS UPDATE. HAD THE RISING TEMP NOT BEEN RPTED I WOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE THIS RPT. THE FAILURE TO MONITOR AND RPT THE DOWN TREND OF THE ARPT TEMP HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT. DO THE ESTABLISHED PROCS DEALING WITH ATIS UPDATES PRECLUDE ERROR OF THIS NATURE?

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.