Hazardous Weather Detection and Warning Systems

Gao ID: T-RCED-87-38 June 30, 1987

GAO discussed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) development of wind shear and hazardous weather detection and warning systems for major airports. GAO found that: (1) the existing aviation weather detection system is inadequate and slow in communicating weather information to pilots; (2) FAA is developing three new ground-based wind shear detection systems, but they all have detection limitations and technical problems; (3) FAA has not developed guidance for air controllers for monitoring and reporting weather information to pilots; and (4) since the number of aircraft capable of receiving data-link information is likely to be small, pilots will continue to use air controllers as their primary source of hazardous weather information.



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