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 pilot weather report (Pirep) system, recommending a reliable electronic submission method; the FAA responded by reminding pilots of an existing, but cumbersome, electronic Pirep tool on the NWS ADDS website that requires registration and validation.
The FAA issued two Special Airworthiness Bulletins (SAIBs): one for Continental 520/550 series engines advising inspections after engine kickback events to prevent crankshaft gear damage, and another for Cessna 150/152 models recommending elevator hinge bolt inspections to prevent in-flight separation due to worn or incorrect hardware.

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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.”