ARTS IIIA 303A failure at dfw TRACON.

Attributes
ACN	125470
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 20
ASRS Report	125470
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

I was working approximately 7 aircraft when the computer for the ARTS 303A failed completely and did not recover as it is supposed to. It took several attempts to get a 'restart,' during which time we had ambiguous, unreliable and partial data appearing on the scopes. It seems ironic that we need to discuss this problem and its solutions at this level. The problem is the same that it has always been--the computer system for the ARTS 303A is unreliable, and at best doesn't have the capacity to handle the workload.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTS IIIA 303A FAILURE AT DFW TRACON.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING APPROX 7 ACFT WHEN THE COMPUTER FOR THE ARTS 303A FAILED COMPLETELY AND DID NOT RECOVER AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET A 'RESTART,' DURING WHICH TIME WE HAD AMBIGUOUS, UNRELIABLE AND PARTIAL DATA APPEARING ON THE SCOPES. IT SEEMS IRONIC THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS PROB AND ITS SOLUTIONS AT THIS LEVEL. THE PROB IS THE SAME THAT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN--THE COMPUTER SYS FOR THE ARTS 303A IS UNRELIABLE, AND AT BEST DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD.

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.