A-17-019
NTSB Safety Recommendation — Aviation
Recommendation text
TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: In collaboration with the National Weather Service, revise the Aeronautical Information Manual and Advisory Circular 00-45H to define standard criteria for reporting mountain wave activity in pilot weather reports (PIREPs) that include (1) consideration that not all hazardous mountain wave encounters involve turbulence; (2) airspeed fluctuation range, altitude fluctuation range, and any other information needed to adequately describe the effects of the mountain wave activity on the aircraft; (3) parameters for classifying the intensity level of the conditions for a turbulent wave encounter and a smooth wave encounter; and (4) the threshold at which the PIREP for each type of encounter (turbulent or smooth) should be coded as urgent.
In plain language (FlightFinder summary)
The Federal Aviation Administration, with the National Weather Service, must update the Aeronautical Information Manual and Advisory Circular 00-45H to set standard criteria for reporting mountain wave activity in pilot weather reports (PIREPs). The criteria should acknowledge that hazardous mountain wave encounters may not involve turbulence, include ranges for airspeed and altitude fluctuations, define intensity classifications for both turbulent and smooth wave encounters, and specify when such PIREPs should be flagged as urgent.
This plain-language summary is written by FlightFinder to explain the recommendation above. It is not the official wording — the verbatim NTSB text is quoted above.
Details
| Status | Closed - Unacceptable Action |
|---|---|
| Mode | Aviation |
| Closed | Jun 14, 2023 |
| NTSB number | DCA15SR001 |
| Addressees | FAA |
External links
NTSB safety recommendations are advisory; addressees are not legally required to adopt them. Source: NTSB CAROL (public domain).