Controller reporter complains about increase frequency of new radar system outages.

Attributes
ACN	141336
Time
Date	199003
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : crp
State Reference	TX
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : stl
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	141336
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified 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:

The ASR-9 radar system, a newly commissioned radar set, lost both primary and secondary radar. The controller on position was forced to revert to non radar sep to establish control and a safe flow of traffic. While system outages do occur in isolated instances within other facs, we feel that a newly commissioned system that is scheduled to be implemented in facs all over the country should enjoy an increased reliability factor. It is not known what factors contributed to the loss of primary and secondary radar on this system but frequent occurrences have been documented. I feel that this system fails much too often and that steps need to be implemented to ensure increased reliability.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT INCREASE FREQ OF NEW RADAR SYSTEM OUTAGES.

Narrative: THE ASR-9 RADAR SYS, A NEWLY COMMISSIONED RADAR SET, LOST BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADAR. THE CTLR ON POS WAS FORCED TO REVERT TO NON RADAR SEP TO ESTABLISH CTL AND A SAFE FLOW OF TFC. WHILE SYS OUTAGES DO OCCUR IN ISOLATED INSTANCES WITHIN OTHER FACS, WE FEEL THAT A NEWLY COMMISSIONED SYS THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN FACS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SHOULD ENJOY AN INCREASED RELIABILITY FACTOR. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADAR ON THIS SYS BUT FREQUENT OCCURRENCES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. I FEEL THAT THIS SYS FAILS MUCH TOO OFTEN AND THAT STEPS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE INCREASED RELIABILITY.

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.