Scaling exponents are the central quantitative prediction of theories of
turbulence and in-situ satellite observations of the high Reynolds number solar
wind flow have provided an extensive testbed of these. We propose a general,
instrument independent method to estimate the uncertainty of velocity field
fluctuations. We obtain the systematic shift that this uncertainty introduces
into the observed spectral exponent. This shift is essential for the correct
interpretation of observed scaling exponents. It is sufficient to explain the
contradiction between spectral features of the Elsasser fields observed in the
solar wind with both theoretical models and numerical simulations of
Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence