After accepting a radar handoff, the computer would not track targets until closer to the airport.

Attributes
ACN	117674
Time
Date	198907
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : buj
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 7
ASRS Report	117674
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

While working as a handoff person to the feeder east controller, several low altitude (5000') arrivals were unable to be tracked by our present computer. They would have 'nat' in the scratch pad area. 'Nat' means 'not ARTS tracked'. The computer would not track these targets until they were 20-25 flying miles from the airport. This is very dangerous because the target's data block would completely disappear from the radar scope. This type of scenario occurs all the time, both at blue ridge VORTAC and scurry VORTAC, with arrivals at 5000'. With this type of malfunction in the air traffic system, it reduces aviation safety by 50 percent. This could cause a midair collision or cause aircraft to take evasive action to clear traffic. With the volume of traffic controllers work, it is essential to have a computer that can assist controllers in their duties. That is the reason controllers are able to keep track of that much traffic at once. Something needs to be done before a major error occurs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER ACCEPTING A RADAR HANDOFF, THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT TRACK TARGETS UNTIL CLOSER TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING AS A HANDOFF PERSON TO THE FEEDER EAST CTLR, SEVERAL LOW ALT (5000') ARRIVALS WERE UNABLE TO BE TRACKED BY OUR PRESENT COMPUTER. THEY WOULD HAVE 'NAT' IN THE SCRATCH PAD AREA. 'NAT' MEANS 'NOT ARTS TRACKED'. THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT TRACK THESE TARGETS UNTIL THEY WERE 20-25 FLYING MILES FROM THE ARPT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE TARGET'S DATA BLOCK WOULD COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR FROM THE RADAR SCOPE. THIS TYPE OF SCENARIO OCCURS ALL THE TIME, BOTH AT BLUE RIDGE VORTAC AND SCURRY VORTAC, WITH ARRIVALS AT 5000'. WITH THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION IN THE AIR TFC SYSTEM, IT REDUCES AVIATION SAFETY BY 50 PERCENT. THIS COULD CAUSE A MIDAIR COLLISION OR CAUSE ACFT TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO CLEAR TFC. WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC CTLRS WORK, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO HAVE A COMPUTER THAT CAN ASSIST CTLRS IN THEIR DUTIES. THAT IS THE REASON CTLRS ARE ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT MUCH TFC AT ONCE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE A MAJOR ERROR OCCURS.

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.