Narrative:

My facility is green bay austin straubel, and we recently have installed ARTS ii radar. I am told maintenance has to check the system weekly for problems. What this means to us as controllers is we lose all identification numbers of all aircraft that we are working. The only means of identifying aircraft are beacon slashes. And on top of that we have maintenance data displayed all over the screen making it very difficult to identify beacon slashes. So in a sense we are trying to separate aircraft by radar without the full use of the radar that is available to us. On sep/fri/89, I was working local position and I cleared small aircraft X on course to msn (210 degree). 3 and 1/2 min later small transport Y calls ready V217 southbound. With maintenance numeric displayed all over the screen I didn't see small aircraft X's beacon. Enough time elapsed in my mind and I cleared small transport Y on a 210 degree heading to join V217. I had no idea small aircraft X was only 6 mi southwest of the field swbnd, all the maintenance's numerics were on the screen, and that made it impossible to radar identify. The R1 position later informed me we might have lost separation on the 2 aircraft, but was not sure. Later, I was told center's snitch report went off and I only had 2.7 mi between the 2 aircraft, I needed 3. In closing, maintenance should never have been granted permission by management to take radar out during one of the busiest times of the day. Something must be done to correct this in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR IFR ACFT DEPARTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION RESULTED IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION IN ADJACENT FAC AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY FAC IS GREEN BAY AUSTIN STRAUBEL, AND WE RECENTLY HAVE INSTALLED ARTS II RADAR. I AM TOLD MAINT HAS TO CHECK THE SYSTEM WEEKLY FOR PROBLEMS. WHAT THIS MEANS TO US AS CTLRS IS WE LOSE ALL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS OF ALL ACFT THAT WE ARE WORKING. THE ONLY MEANS OF IDENTIFYING ACFT ARE BEACON SLASHES. AND ON TOP OF THAT WE HAVE MAINT DATA DISPLAYED ALL OVER THE SCREEN MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY BEACON SLASHES. SO IN A SENSE WE ARE TRYING TO SEPARATE ACFT BY RADAR WITHOUT THE FULL USE OF THE RADAR THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US. ON SEP/FRI/89, I WAS WORKING LCL POSITION AND I CLRED SMA X ON COURSE TO MSN (210 DEG). 3 AND 1/2 MIN LATER SMT Y CALLS READY V217 SBND. WITH MAINT NUMERIC DISPLAYED ALL OVER THE SCREEN I DIDN'T SEE SMA X'S BEACON. ENOUGH TIME ELAPSED IN MY MIND AND I CLRED SMT Y ON A 210 DEG HDG TO JOIN V217. I HAD NO IDEA SMA X WAS ONLY 6 MI SW OF THE FIELD SWBND, ALL THE MAINT'S NUMERICS WERE ON THE SCREEN, AND THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RADAR IDENTIFY. THE R1 POSITION LATER INFORMED ME WE MIGHT HAVE LOST SEPARATION ON THE 2 ACFT, BUT WAS NOT SURE. LATER, I WAS TOLD CENTER'S SNITCH REPORT WENT OFF AND I ONLY HAD 2.7 MI BETWEEN THE 2 ACFT, I NEEDED 3. IN CLOSING, MAINT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION BY MGMNT TO TAKE RADAR OUT DURING ONE OF THE BUSIEST TIMES OF THE DAY. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS IN THE FUTURE.

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.