Hazardous Weather Detection and Warning Systems
Highlights
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.