Safety Recommendation A-14-019

When NTSB staff met with NOAA/NWS staff on August 19, 2019, to discuss the intent of this recommendation, we suggested that the NWS could add “turbulence, including mountain wave activity” to the interagency agreement’s statement of work, and that simple edit would likely satisfy the intent of this recommendation. In your letter, you again told us that you will consider this recommendation the next time you negotiate your interagency agreement with the FAA. Although this news is encouraging, we are disappointed that the agreement still has not been revised.

Pending the incorporation of the language discussed in our 2019 meeting or an acceptable alternate revision, the Board has voted to retain the classification of OPEN-- UNACCEPTABLE RESPONSE for Safety Recommendation A-14-19.

-From Ken Harding, Chief Operating Officer, NOAA National Weather Service: Negotiations on the next Interagency Agreement will begin before the end of FY24 and will consider the referenced Safety Recommendations.

The NWS’s June 20, 2019, letter reported that the NWS and FAA review the IA and accompanying SOW for needed revisions annually; however, the IA and accompanying SOW had not been revised, as recommended, because you had not identified any new responsibilities in response to Safety Recommendations A-14-17 and -18. During our August 19, 2019, meeting, we informed your staff that adding turbulence, including mountain wave activity to the IA and SOW would satisfy the intent of this recommendation.

We note that, in the 4 years since your last letter and our meeting, the IA and accompanying SOW have still not been revised, and the only action that you reported is that you and the FAA are still reviewing these documents. We urge you to make the recommended revisions to the IA and SOW without any further delays. In the meantime, pending the completion of that action, Safety Recommendation A-14-19 is classified OPEN-- UNACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From John D. Murphy, Chief Operating Officer, NOAA National Weather Service: The Interagency Agreement and Statement of Work related to the CWSU program are currently under review by both agencies. A more detailed response will be provided once this review is complete.

You reported that the NWS and FAA review the IA and accompanying SOW for needed revisions annually. You pointed out, however, that, because no new responsibilities were identified in response to Safety Recommendations A-14-17 and -18, you have not made the recommended revisions to the IA and accompanying SOW.

During our August 19, 2019, meeting, we informed your staff that adding “turbulence, including mountain wave activity”—which is the same language we encouraged you to include in AIRMETs (in response to A-14-18)—to the IA and SOW would satisfy the intent of this recommendation. Pending the completion of that action, Safety Recommendation A-14-19 remains classified OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From John D. Murphy, Chief Operating Officer, NOAA National Weather Service: The NWS and FAA review and revise the Interagency Agreement (IA) and accompanying statement of work (SOW) annually. The issues identified in A-14-17 and A-14-18 did not result in any new responsibilities for CWSU personnel and no new related responsibilities are planned. Therefore there is no need for an updated IA/SOW related to A-14-19. NWS recommends Safety Recommendation A-14-19 be closed.

You previously said that you would negotiate with the FAA to revise the Interagency Agreement and the CWSU statement of work, as recommended; however, it has now been almost 5 years since this recommendation was issued and we have yet to receive any additional information from you regarding any actions that you have completed or plan to take in response to this recommendation. Pending our receipt of an update, Safety Recommendation A-14-19 remains classified OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

We note that, following agreement by the NWS and the FAA, and implementation of advisory and warning services for turbulence, you will negotiate with the FAA to revise the Interagency Agreement and the CWSU statement of work as recommended. Pending completion of that action, Safety Recommendation A-14-19 is classified OPEN—ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Louis W. Uccellini, Director, National Weather Service: The NWS will continue to work with the FAA on a holistic approach to provide improved turbulence advisory and warning services for aviation. Following FAA and NWS agreement on implementation of turbulence advisory and warning services, negotiations to revise the Interagency Agreement and/or the Center Weather Service Unit statement of work, as needed, will begin.