Narrative:

A routine; daily procedure from air traffic control is occurring and presents some hidden safety concerns. The operation is a terminal air traffic controller; radar or tower; advising traffic of the new ATIS information being broadcast. The transmission is straight forward; 'ATIS information ____ is now current; advise when you have information ____!' this is a work reducing transmission for the controller; but it is a potential land mine to the flight crew. The hazard rests with the weather and type of operation occurring. Ground operations with few taxiway crossings and good weather should not present much of a workload increase to gather the new information. Place the crew at a high density airport (ord; jfk; atl; etc) with a visibility of 1200 RVR and crew low visibility taxi requirements take a hit. Either advise ground you must stop and pick up the ATIS and totally stop the flow of traffic on that taxi route; or get pulled out of line to safely get the ATIS; or; the flight is number one for departure; tower clears the flight to position and wait; then blanket broadcasts 'the new ATIS information is current; advise you have information ____'. Or; the flight is close or has just been cleared for the approach; and the controller advises of the new information. As with any of the aforementioned scenarios; the pilot not flying is now taxed with a timely distraction to the duties at hand. While taxiing; proper taxiway; holding short of a taxiway; ground hot spot attentions have all been compromised. During a line up and wait; until the new ATIS is reviewed; the departure is really put on hold until you can safely and legally qualify the departure. During the approach phase; while the pilot not flying is getting the new ATIS; monitoring traffic; navigation; altitudes; (especially crossing altitudes) have been weakened if not compromised. Think about the amount of time it takes to receive a new ATIS. Consider what information might have changed on the ATIS that required the new broadcast. Weather; field conditions; and field equipment; navaids and birds plus any other pertinent needed information. Also consider; because of other duties or interruptions; the ATIS report might have to be listened through two maybe three times. At times; ATIS broadcasts will be quite lengthy. For the departure; did the wind change direction and/or velocity that changed or take off procedure? Did field conditions/navaids status change to that would affect the departure? Can the flight still return or does the flight need to plan some other action? Or; was the change non-operational to that flight? The approach phase transmission is one to really consider. Low weather; CAT ii and the transmission is made while aircraft configuring is taking place. Considering this outside of the FAF and the stabilized approach concept; any time this transmission occurs at this point; if the pilot not flying goes for the ATIS; either radio or ACARS; the pilot not flying is distracted for at least half of the approach. If the transmission is received at this point an added decision is incurred to either continue the approach or get vectored off of the approach to qualify what has changed on the ATIS that affects the approach. Even though most controllers do a good job of keeping us informed of weather and visibility changes; it is becoming the 'norm' to hear; 'advise when you have'. A huge; time consuming distraction that will be some day a contributing factor to an accident or incident! Suggestion: review current book procedures with respect to flight needs. Review the time critical items needed. Ceiling; visibility; wind direction and velocity; navaids applicable to departure; arrival and missed approach; to name a few. Possibly a consideration to a procedure that allows once a flight has checked in with the current ATIS with all applicable weather and field NOTAMS; create a required terminal air traffic control transmission that contains only weather criteria for the traffic being vectored for an approach. This would enhance safety; it would do away with the time the pilot not flying is taken totally out of the loop for listening or collecting a lengthy ATIS report. The amount of time that an ATIS report takes to collect; comprehend; and apply to the operation; is too valuable. There has to be a better; more efficient way to qualify field information to the operation at hand. Our terminal operations have become too busy. Crew concept and stabilized approaches are taking a hit on safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air Carrier Captain registered a complaint regarding ATC's procedure of broadcasting new ATIS alert information and the timing of same; noting several safety concerns.

Narrative: A routine; daily procedure from Air Traffic Control is occurring and presents some hidden safety concerns. The operation is a terminal air traffic controller; RADAR or tower; advising traffic of the new ATIS information being broadcast. The transmission is straight forward; 'ATIS information ____ is now current; advise when you have information ____!' This is a work reducing transmission for the Controller; but it is a potential land mine to the flight crew. The hazard rests with the weather and type of operation occurring. Ground operations with few taxiway crossings and good weather should not present much of a workload increase to gather the new information. Place the crew at a high density airport (ORD; JFK; ATL; etc) with a visibility of 1200 RVR and crew low visibility taxi requirements take a hit. Either advise ground you must stop and pick up the ATIS and totally stop the flow of traffic on that taxi route; or get pulled out of line to safely get the ATIS; or; the flight is number one for departure; Tower clears the flight to position and wait; then blanket broadcasts 'The new ATIS information is current; advise you have information ____'. Or; the flight is close or has just been cleared for the approach; and the Controller advises of the new information. As with any of the aforementioned scenarios; the pilot not flying is now taxed with a timely distraction to the duties at hand. While taxiing; proper taxiway; holding short of a taxiway; ground hot spot attentions have all been compromised. During a line up and wait; until the new ATIS is reviewed; the departure is really put on hold until you can safely and legally qualify the departure. During the approach phase; while the pilot not flying is getting the new ATIS; monitoring traffic; navigation; altitudes; (especially crossing altitudes) have been weakened if not compromised. Think about the amount of time it takes to receive a new ATIS. Consider what information might have changed on the ATIS that required the new broadcast. Weather; field conditions; and field equipment; NAVAIDS and birds plus any other pertinent needed information. Also consider; because of other duties or interruptions; the ATIS report might have to be listened through two maybe three times. At times; ATIS broadcasts will be quite lengthy. For the departure; did the wind change direction and/or velocity that changed or take off procedure? Did field conditions/NAVAIDS status change to that would affect the departure? Can the flight still return or does the flight need to plan some other action? Or; was the change non-operational to that flight? The approach phase transmission is one to really consider. Low weather; CAT II and the transmission is made while aircraft configuring is taking place. Considering this outside of the FAF and the stabilized approach concept; any time this transmission occurs at this point; if the pilot not flying goes for the ATIS; either radio or ACARS; the pilot not flying is distracted for at least half of the approach. If the transmission is received at this point an added decision is incurred to either continue the approach or get vectored off of the approach to qualify what has changed on the ATIS that affects the approach. Even though most controllers do a good job of keeping us informed of weather and visibility changes; it is becoming the 'norm' to hear; 'Advise when you have'. A huge; time consuming distraction that will be some day a contributing factor to an accident or incident! Suggestion: Review current book procedures with respect to flight needs. Review the time critical items needed. Ceiling; visibility; wind direction and velocity; NAVAIDS applicable to departure; arrival and missed approach; to name a few. Possibly a consideration to a procedure that allows once a flight has checked in with the current ATIS with all applicable weather and field NOTAMS; create a required terminal Air Traffic Control transmission that contains only weather criteria for the traffic being vectored for an approach. This would enhance safety; it would do away with the time the pilot not flying is taken totally out of the loop for listening or collecting a lengthy ATIS report. The amount of time that an ATIS report takes to collect; comprehend; and apply to the operation; is too valuable. There has to be a better; more efficient way to qualify field information to the operation at hand. Our terminal operations have become too busy. Crew concept and stabilized approaches are taking a hit on safety.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.