More On Pireps

Last month in this space, we reported on a Special Investigative Report (SIR-17/02) from the NTSB, Improving Pilot Weather Report Submission and Dissemination to Benefit Safety in the National Airspace System. Its a 68-page collection of everything thats wrong with the Pireps system. We also highlighted as most interesting one of the NTSBs recommendations: for the FAA to provide a reliable means of electronically accepting pilot weather reports directly from all users.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The NTSB highlighted deficiencies in the current Pilot Weather Report (PIREP) system, recommending reliable electronic submission, to which the FAA pointed to an existing, albeit cumbersome, electronic tool on the Aviation Weather Center website that requires user registration and verification.
The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Bulletin (SAIB NE-17-11) for Continental 520- and 550-series engines, recommending inspections for crankshaft gear retaining screw fractures and other component damage following engine kickback events.
Another SAIB (CE-17-12) addresses Cessna 150/152 aircraft, warning of elevator hinge bolts backing out due to worn or incorrect hardware, potentially leading to in-flight elevator separation, and recommends specific inspections.
Free PIREP training, "SkySpotter 'PIREPs Made Easy'," is available on the FAASafety.gov website, offering WINGS credit.

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Last month in this space, we reported on a Special Investigative Report (SIR-17/02) from the NTSB, “Improving Pilot Weather Report Submission and Dissemination to Benefit Safety in the National Airspace System.” It’s a 68-page collection of everything that’s wrong with the Pireps system. We also highlighted as “most interesting” one of the NTSB’s recommendations: for the FAA to “provide a reliable means of electronically accepting pilot weather reports directly from all users.” The NTSB added that the FAA should “ensure that the system has the capacity to accept and make available all such reports to the [NAS].” Since then, the FAA has seen fit to remind pilots that capability already exists, even if it’s a bit cumbersome.

A recent Notice from the agency advised, “The FAA has a new, electronic PIREP submission tool at the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Aviation Weather Center Digital Data Service (ADDS) website. Registered users can electronically submit turbulence and icing PIREPs on the site, which are instantly displayed in graphical form and distributed nationwide. Visit www.aviationweather.gov/user/register to register on the Aviation Weather Center site.”