GA1425 - 'ATIS Content'

Initial Report

On a clear dry day many airfields transmit runway condition reports on ATIS (e.g. Runway Dry/Dry/Dry, Coverage 100%/100%/100%, Depth not reported/not reported/not reported). This doesn’t happen at commercial airfields like LHR/LGW, but at smaller GA/regional airports where single pilot ops are far more likely, it can take several minutes to obtain ATIS whilst trying to fly the aircraft and listen out on the primary ATC frequency. 

Runway condition reports are of course vitally important, but surely if the runway is dry, a simple “Runway Dry” would suffice. The current lengthy report provides no helpful information at all to the pilot when weather conditions [are benign] but has the possibility of contributing to a missed RT call, or distraction at a busy phase of flight. 

CHIRP Comment

The reporter makes valid points regarding the potential consequences of having to check the latest ATIS and derive the information needed as well as perform other tasks, particularly when airborne. Within the ‘Rules of the Air’ section of the CAA website there is section SERA 9010 which lists the requirements for the contents on ATIS, and those airfields that provide ATIS are required to comply with this regulation. 

A possible mitigation if an aircraft has more than one pilot in the cockpit (and dual radios fitted) is to have one pilot collect the ATIS information whilst the other monitors the ATC frequency. If flying single pilot, an option is to indicate to ATC that you require to listen to an ATIS transmission so that ATC is aware and then let ATC know when you have completed copying ATIS information down and are back on frequency again. 

Key Issues relating to this report

Possible Human factors considerations that could contribute to an event: