DO328 CAPT WAS GNDED FOR NOT ACCEPTING AN OUT OF DATE WX PACKAGE.

Narrative

WX FOR MY DESTINATION ARPT FOR A PART 121 SCHEDULED FLT WAS OVER 4 HRS OLD AS GIVEN TO ME BY OUR DISPATCH AT THE AIRLINE FOR A FLT WITH A DEST OF GRR FROM MKE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY OUR DISPATCHER THAT THE GRR TWR WX WAS NOT UPDATING CAUSING ME TO QUESTION THE LEGALITY OF THE FLT TO A DEST WITHOUT AN APPROVED WX RPTING FACILITY. ADDING TO THIS I WAS INFORMED THAT THE DISPATCHER WAS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN WX DIRECTLY FROM THE AWOS STATION VIA TELEPHONE. THE ABOVE CAUSED ME TO QUESTION BOTH SAFETY AND LEGALITY OF DEP WITH THE LIMITED INFO AND HENCE; PUT ON SUSPENSION BY THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT I WAS NOT ONLY NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE PHONE CALLS TO EITHER FSS OR GRR TWR; BUT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO. ON MAY/XX/01; AT APPROX XO35Z I RECEIVED A WX PACKAGE WITH WX FOR THE DEST ARPT (GRR) OF XA56Z. WITHIN NO MORE THAN 7 MINS I CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH FOR MORE UPDATED WX. I WAS TOLD BY OUR DISPATCH THAT 'I DON'T THINK YOU NEED MORE CURRENT WX.' AFTER TELLING HIM THAT I DO NOT THINK THAT IT IS PRUDENT OF ME TO INITIATE A FLT WITH THE INDICATED WX HE INSISTED THAT IN HIS OPINION; I NEEDED CURRENT WX BUT HE WILL CALL THE GRR TWR. AFTER BEING ON HOLD FOR A FEW MINS; HE INFORMED ME THAT ACCORDING TO THE GRR TWR THEIR WX WAS NOT UPDATING. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE DISPATCHER 'THE TWR DID NOT HAVE CURRENT WX?' I WAS THEN PUT ON HOLD AGAIN (I ASSUMED HE CALLED THE TWR AGAIN). AFTER BEING ON HOLD FOR 2-3 MINS THE DISPATCHER INSISTED SAYING 'I DON'T THINK YOU NEED CURRENT WX.' AFTER CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT I MAY BE DEPARTING NOT ONLY WITH OLD WX AND OLD ARPT INFO AND POSSIBLY NO OPERATIONAL WX RPTING FACILITIES AT THE DEST ARPT(POSSIBLE INDICATION OF A MAJOR PROB AT THAT ARPT); AND SUSPECTING THE ACCURACY OF THE AREA FORECAST BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SHOWING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON A FLT THAT I HAVE JUST COME IN ON WITH LEVEL 4 ECHOES; I HAVE TOLD THE DISPATCHER THAT 'I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE CURRENT WX INFO.' I WAS THEN TOLD THAT HE DOES NOT FEEL I HAVE ANY NEED FOR MORE CURRENT WX AND THAT HE ALREADY NOTIFIED MY SUPVR OF THE SIT. DURING THE ABOVE CONVERSATION I INSINUATED TO THE DISPATCHER THAT IF NECESSARY I WILL CALL EITHER THE FSS OR GRR TWR MYSELF AND I HAVE ASKED THE DISPATCHER REPEATEDLY 'ARE YOU REFUSING TO GIVE ME CURRENT WX;' HIS ANSWER WAS NECESSARY SO I COULD INITIATE MY OWN WX INVESTIGATION. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RECEIVE A POSITIVE ANSWER FROM THE DISPATCHER THAT HE WILL NOT ACQUIRE MORE CURRENT WX FOR THE FLT AND AT APPROX THAT TIME I NOTICED THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO ME. MY ENTIRE CONVERSATION WITH THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT; WHICH TOOK PLACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PUT THE PHONE DOWN; LASTED NO MORE THAN 30 SECONDS AND AFTER WHICH I WAS TOLD: 'GO HOME.' THE CONVERSATION WITH ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT STARTED AT APPROX XD50Z (MORE THAN HALF AN HR BEFORE SCHEDULED FLT). THE CONVERSATION WENT LIKE THIS: RPTR -- ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT WHAT IS GOING ON THAT OUR DISPATCH WILL NOT GIVE US CURRENT WX! ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT SAID; 'THE WX YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND IS GOOD TO FLY WITH;' AFTER WHICH HE PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN WHY MY WX PACKAGE IS LEGAL BECAUSE IT IS 'THE LAST AVAILABLE INFO TO OUR DISPATCH.' RPTR -- 'I DO NOT FEEL IN THIS SIT THAT THIS WX IS GOOD TO GO WITH.' ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT -- 'YOU ARE GOOD TO GO WITH THE WX GIVEN TO YOU BY OUR OPS AND I WANT YOU TO GO.' RPTR -- 'I CANNOT GO WITH THIS WX PACKAGE.' ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT -- 'FINE; GO HOME!' I WAS NEVER GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT MY SIT; OR MY WILLINGNESS TO CALL THE NECESSARY FACILITIES ON MY OWN INITIATIVE TO CONDUCT THE FLT. I WAS NOT GIVEN A CHANCE TO CALL THE FSS OR GRR TWR TO ASSURE MYSELF OF A LEGAL AND SAFE FLT. FACTORS THAT I NEEDED TO CONSIDER: A) WX IN GRR SHOWING A NEGATIVE TREND. B) MODERATE TURB RPTED IN VICINITY OF GRR BY AN UNKNOWN ACFT AT AN UNKNOWN ALT. C) AREA FORECASTS NOT BEING COMPLETELY ACCURATE DUE TO THE FACT THAT I JUST ENDED A FLT (ABOUT 30 MINS AGO) AND SHOWING NUMEROUS LEVEL 3AND 4 ECHOES ON THE FLT TO MKE AND THE AREA FORECAST NOT MENTIONING THEM. D) DISPATCHERS COMMENT THAT ACCORDING TO GRR TWR; THEIR WX INFO IS NOT UPDATING. DISPATCHER ALSO COMMENTING THAT HE IS UNABLE TO CALL THE ASOS STATION IN GRR. THE ACTIONS TAKEN ABOVE I BELIEVE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A PRUDENT AND SAFE PLT AND I SURE HOPE THAT MY COMPANY WOULD PROMOTE A THOROUGH CONSIDERATION OF ALL AVAILABLE INFO THE PLT HAS BEFORE EACH FLT. I MOST CERTAINLY HOPE THAT IT IS THE COMPANIES VIEW THAT SUSPENDING AN EMPLOYEE TAKES MORE THAN A 30 SECOND HEATED CONVERSATION AND CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE FACTS! DUE TO JURY DUTY; I MISSED 2 FLTS THAT MORNING FROM CWA TO MKE.