Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 25000; Flight Crew Type 7800
ATC Issue All Types
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors; Procedure; Weather; Airport
Having flown into SVMI several times I am accustomed to seeing the reported winds different from the wind that we experience. The wind speed reported is consistently less than what we observe. Taxiing for takeoff in December 2013; the wind sock at the end of Runway 10 clearly indicated that the wind was coming strongly from the west. The Tower however reported an east wind of 090 at 9. Being on the ground and seeing that the runway had a tailwind we could make the adjustments needed for a safe operation. However aircraft landing had no idea of the strong tailwind for landing. If there is anyway to improve the reporting of runway winds it would greatly improve safely.
In the incident cited by the reporter; strongly for the west was probably 15 knots from the west while the Tower was reporting 9 knots from the east. The Tower reports and ATIS rarely reflect the actual winds at this airport for unknown reasons.
I was the First Officer departing out of SVMI. The reported wind from the Tower was from the east; but the windsock indicated the wind was from the west. We adjusted the [automated performance data] to correct for the tailwind and departed without incident. From my experience flying into SVMI; the wind reporting there is frequently in error.  Anything that can be done to improve the wind reporting at SVMI would greatly enhance safety.
Air Carrier flight crew reports that the wind velocity and direction reported by SVMI Tower is rarely accurate.