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Scheduled computer shutdown during busy traffic periods at facility impacts safety, according to reporter.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 137418 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199002 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 3 flight time total : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 137418 |
| 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 procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
I am a controller at ZFW. The manager at ZFW ARTCC has scheduled the primary computer to be shut down for maintenance on 2/X/90, and then every 9 days, for maintenance. The computer will be shut down at XA30 pm local. This is a time when we are still working heavy traffic. This will create an extremely unsafe situation. The backup system is new and still has glitches. In addition, the backup system does not have conflict alert, or MSA alert. I would compare this situation to an airline pilot shutting down an engine in-flight to save fuel. This shutdown will definitely reduce the safety margin to the flying public.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SCHEDULED COMPUTER SHUTDOWN DURING BUSY TRAFFIC PERIODS AT FAC IMPACTS SAFETY, ACCORDING TO REPORTER.
Narrative: I AM A CTLR AT ZFW. THE MGR AT ZFW ARTCC HAS SCHEDULED THE PRIMARY COMPUTER TO BE SHUT DOWN FOR MAINT ON 2/X/90, AND THEN EVERY 9 DAYS, FOR MAINT. THE COMPUTER WILL BE SHUT DOWN AT XA30 PM LCL. THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE ARE STILL WORKING HEAVY TFC. THIS WILL CREATE AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION. THE BACKUP SYS IS NEW AND STILL HAS GLITCHES. IN ADDITION, THE BACKUP SYS DOES NOT HAVE CONFLICT ALERT, OR MSA ALERT. I WOULD COMPARE THIS SITUATION TO AN AIRLINE PLT SHUTTING DOWN AN ENG INFLT TO SAVE FUEL. THIS SHUTDOWN WILL DEFINITELY REDUCE THE SAFETY MARGIN TO THE FLYING PUBLIC.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.