Narrative:

Frequency problems at chicago center have reached a dangerous level. Safe and efficient air traffic control is based upon one important premise. That premise is that the controller can communicate with the pilot. Without this fundamental requirement, safety, much less efficiency, cannot be maintained. Communication equipment used at chicago center dates back to the 1950's or earlier. Technicians attempt to keep the frequencys in operational order but when you're dealing with electrical contacts and switching equipment that is 30 yrs old, this is an impossible task. Today I witnessed a potential midair collision between 2 aircraft at the same altitude (a widebody transport from iad to sfo and an small transport from otm to cgf). This situation was caused by a failure of the communication equipment at the joliet sector (135.75). Numerous communication trouble reports (center's) and unsafe condition reports (ucr's) have been filed on this frequency. In fact the area supervisor informed me that at the time of the occurrence, an open center existed on this frequency due to trouble reported 2 days previous. He requested that the tapes of the frequency be pulled to substantiate the existing problem. This frequency is by no means the only communication problem at chicago center. At another sector (kankakee) in our area, the frequency (133.7) used for this sector does not have the range needed to cover the entire airspace. I submitted a ucr on this frequency in july of 1987 when an aircraft declared an emergency and requested assistance to the nearest airport and I could not provide the needed assistance because of no frequency coverage. This frequency has been written up before and after that incident, including write ups by our quality assurance office, and still no change has occurred to relieve this potentially hazardous problem. The controllers at chicago center are being asked to work with equipment that is seriously out of date, is set at such low power settings, and are set at such geographical locations that frequency coverage is often far less than what is needed. All these things contribute to an unsafe condition where a serious accident is just waiting to happen because pilots and controllers cannot communicate with each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE OF RADIO EQUIPMENT AT FAC CAUSED A POTENTIAL CONFLICTION BETWEEN 2 ACFT.

Narrative: FREQ PROBLEMS AT CHICAGO CENTER HAVE REACHED A DANGEROUS LEVEL. SAFE AND EFFICIENT AIR TFC CTL IS BASED UPON ONE IMPORTANT PREMISE. THAT PREMISE IS THAT THE CTLR CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE PLT. WITHOUT THIS FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT, SAFETY, MUCH LESS EFFICIENCY, CANNOT BE MAINTAINED. COM EQUIPMENT USED AT CHICAGO CENTER DATES BACK TO THE 1950'S OR EARLIER. TECHNICIANS ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE FREQS IN OPERATIONAL ORDER BUT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH ELECTRICAL CONTACTS AND SWITCHING EQUIPMENT THAT IS 30 YRS OLD, THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK. TODAY I WITNESSED A POTENTIAL MIDAIR COLLISION BETWEEN 2 ACFT AT THE SAME ALT (A WDB FROM IAD TO SFO AND AN SMT FROM OTM TO CGF). THIS SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE OF THE COM EQUIPMENT AT THE JOLIET SECTOR (135.75). NUMEROUS COM TROUBLE REPORTS (CTR'S) AND UNSAFE CONDITION REPORTS (UCR'S) HAVE BEEN FILED ON THIS FREQ. IN FACT THE AREA SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, AN OPEN CTR EXISTED ON THIS FREQ DUE TO TROUBLE REPORTED 2 DAYS PREVIOUS. HE REQUESTED THAT THE TAPES OF THE FREQ BE PULLED TO SUBSTANTIATE THE EXISTING PROBLEM. THIS FREQ IS BY NO MEANS THE ONLY COM PROBLEM AT CHICAGO CENTER. AT ANOTHER SECTOR (KANKAKEE) IN OUR AREA, THE FREQ (133.7) USED FOR THIS SECTOR DOES NOT HAVE THE RANGE NEEDED TO COVER THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE. I SUBMITTED A UCR ON THIS FREQ IN JULY OF 1987 WHEN AN ACFT DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE TO THE NEAREST ARPT AND I COULD NOT PROVIDE THE NEEDED ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OF NO FREQ COVERAGE. THIS FREQ HAS BEEN WRITTEN UP BEFORE AND AFTER THAT INCIDENT, INCLUDING WRITE UPS BY OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE, AND STILL NO CHANGE HAS OCCURRED TO RELIEVE THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. THE CTLRS AT CHICAGO CENTER ARE BEING ASKED TO WORK WITH EQUIPMENT THAT IS SERIOUSLY OUT OF DATE, IS SET AT SUCH LOW POWER SETTINGS, AND ARE SET AT SUCH GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS THAT FREQ COVERAGE IS OFTEN FAR LESS THAN WHAT IS NEEDED. ALL THESE THINGS CONTRIBUTE TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHERE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IS JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE PLTS AND CTLRS CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.

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.