Got weather? Really? Well, is it the type of weather information you need to make a truly informed go, no-go decision? Maybe not, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is recommending that the FAA and the National Weather Service work together to put better weather information in pilots’ hands.
The NTSB action comes just days after the FAA and several industry groups launched an initiative called “Got Weather?” that is intended to help pilots prepare for weather challenges during the 2014 flying season. The Safety Board’s message appears to be presenting misgivings about whether the information readily available to pilots through Flight Service and online resources is really good enough.
The NTSB issued nine weather-related recommendations based on recent accident investigations involving strong winds, dense fog, icing, turbulence, and low-level wind shear. Though information on these specific conditions exist, it is not always provided to pilots through NWS products during preflight weather forecasts, the NTSB warns. The Board is calling on the FAA and NWS to examine the types of weather information being disseminated to pilots and make improvements where needed.
Meanwhile, the Got Weather? safety campaign will run through the end of the year, refreshing each month to focus on a new weather topic such as thunderstorms, icing, crosswinds, and the resources that are available to pilots. May’s weather topic is turbulence. For more on the initiative, visit the FAA’s Got Weather? page.
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