Remember: ATC Is NOT Required To Advise You Of Wx
Citing
a recent spate of investigations identifying several accidents that
appear to at least partly attributable to in-flight encounters with
severe weather, the National Transportation Safety Board has posted
a "Safety Alert" telling pilots to be extra cautious about their
surroundings, especially when they see towering cumulus.
In the alert, the NTSB cites four examples of recent accidents
in which aircraft on IFR flight plans entered areas of severe
weather, with no advance warning from air traffic controllers. One
of the accidents cited -- though not by name -- is the April 2006
loss near Ludville, GA of a Cessna 210A
flown by legendary test pilot Scott
Crossfield.
"These accidents have all involved aircraft operating under
instrument flight rules and in contact with air traffic
controllers," notes the NTSB in bullet points. "Investigations show
that pilots were either not advised about areas of severe weather
ahead or were given incomplete information... Each pilot had
readily available alternatives that, if utilized, would have likely
prevented the accident."
The NTSB notes ATC is not required to provide weather
information to pilots operating under instrument flight rules.
Furthermore, the weather information available to enroute
controllers is limited to radar depictions of areas of severe
precipitation. While those echoes are often an indicator of intense
thunderstorm activity, they're not foolproof.
That said, the Board notes a better effort should be made to
advise pilots when they're flying close to areas of severe
weather... though the NTSB falls short of suggesting controllers
should be held responsible for not warning pilots of severe
weather.
"Severe weather avoidance is primarily your responsibility," the
Board writes. "The primary job of ATC is to keep IFR aircraft
separated. When their workload permits, controllers are also
required to provide additional services such as weather advisories,
and, upon pilot request, suggested headings to avoid
radar-displayed precipitation."
The complete SA includes information about the classification of
thunderstorms, and how to interpret ATC weather advisories.
It behooves anyone who regularly flies IFR -- make that ANY
pilot, VFR or IFR, and especially if you fly at night -- to review
the NTSB's SA. It's available at the top of the NTSB home page, as
well as at the FMI link below.
After all, no pilots wants to become the subject of an NTSB
accident report... and ANN doesn't really want to report on it,
either.