Narrative:

Psp approach/tower lost commercial power and apparently has no backup power. Winds were tremendous, severe turbulence and icing. Sigmets were out. Nxp airport closed due to 75 mph winds. I was working sector 10 alone when I found I could not call psp and departed. Aircraft came on frequency west/O handoff or coordination. 4-5 inbound aircraft had to be issued immediate holding instructions and much confusion about how to allow aircraft to land and who should control psp's airspace and how to transfer control existed. I notified my supervisor, but getting help was long in coming due to staffing. When psp tower finally was able to function, I was clearing aircraft for non radar approachs, and tower would advise when an aircraft had landed or 'landing assured,' so I could clear the next aircraft. In one case they notified me an aircraft had landed when he had not. I cleared an aircraft for approach and told him to contact psp tower. Shortly thereafter psp called to say the aircraft that had supposedly landed was making a missed approach, which put 2 non radar aircraft in confliction. No investigation was made to my knowledge. No backup power and no contingency plans for loss of power give opportunity for disaster. A plan should be developed for such an occurrence, but the FAA does not act, it reacts, so it will take a disaster to correct the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF COMMERCIAL POWER AT ATC FAC DURING INCLEMENT WX CONDITIONS REQUIRED ACFT TO BE WORKED NON RADAR BY ARTCC.

Narrative: PSP APCH/TWR LOST COMMERCIAL PWR AND APPARENTLY HAS NO BACKUP PWR. WINDS WERE TREMENDOUS, SEVERE TURB AND ICING. SIGMETS WERE OUT. NXP ARPT CLOSED DUE TO 75 MPH WINDS. I WAS WORKING SECTOR 10 ALONE WHEN I FOUND I COULD NOT CALL PSP AND DEPARTED. ACFT CAME ON FREQ W/O HDOF OR COORD. 4-5 INBND ACFT HAD TO BE ISSUED IMMEDIATE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND MUCH CONFUSION ABOUT HOW TO ALLOW ACFT TO LAND AND WHO SHOULD CTL PSP'S AIRSPACE AND HOW TO TRANSFER CTL EXISTED. I NOTIFIED MY SUPVR, BUT GETTING HELP WAS LONG IN COMING DUE TO STAFFING. WHEN PSP TWR FINALLY WAS ABLE TO FUNCTION, I WAS CLRING ACFT FOR NON RADAR APCHS, AND TWR WOULD ADVISE WHEN AN ACFT HAD LANDED OR 'LNDG ASSURED,' SO I COULD CLR THE NEXT ACFT. IN ONE CASE THEY NOTIFIED ME AN ACFT HAD LANDED WHEN HE HAD NOT. I CLRED AN ACFT FOR APCH AND TOLD HIM TO CONTACT PSP TWR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER PSP CALLED TO SAY THE ACFT THAT HAD SUPPOSEDLY LANDED WAS MAKING A MISSED APCH, WHICH PUT 2 NON RADAR ACFT IN CONFLICTION. NO INVESTIGATION WAS MADE TO MY KNOWLEDGE. NO BACKUP PWR AND NO CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR LOSS OF PWR GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR DISASTER. A PLAN SHOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR SUCH AN OCCURRENCE, BUT THE FAA DOES NOT ACT, IT REACTS, SO IT WILL TAKE A DISASTER TO CORRECT THE PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.