Narrative:

ZDC radar failed. Two junior fpls were on the sector. I was ordered to work the handoff position. Upon plugging in, I saw that 2 aircraft were in zcj airspace west/O a handoff and 1 aircraft in an adjacent sector west/O a handoff, and another aircraft in a warning area west/O a pointout. Two aircraft were in immediate conflict. I told the radar controller five times to separate the two aircraft in conflict. The radar controller froze. At the very last instant he took action. The manual controller was useless. The supervisor said that the channel (ar rtes) was closed and to get everyone out of the warning area (we can point out aircraft to the using agency). I stated this to the supervisor and he said we cannot. He then said that we had to provide 20 mi in trail to zcj. He told the super high sector to give zcj 40 mi in trail. He told the feeding sectors no traffic going to zcj (over the water-ar rtes). The situation was pure chaos. The 'east' area and 'F' area supervisors were both giving us grief on the sector (we had 3 bays of traffic, approximately 57 flts) because they did not communicate. I couldn't O my job as a result. The two junior fpls were useless. I told the radar controller he just had a deal and he said 'I don't care, that's the least of my worries.' no one working had any darc experience. The last time I worked it was when the NAS failed. They are qualifing people not ready for chkout. Darc was not working properly. We couldn't start tracks. The 'east' area supervisor was yelling for us to stay on NAS, while the 'F' area supervisor was yelling for us to stay on darc. The FAA is producing unsafe controllers. Mgrs do not communicate, the equipment is unreliable. We report these things to the supervisors but no paperwork is sent in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY RADAR FAILED DURING A BUSY PERIOD CAUSING ACFT TO ENTER ADJACENT AIRSPACE WITHOUT HANDOFFS OR POINTOUTS.

Narrative: ZDC RADAR FAILED. TWO JUNIOR FPLS WERE ON THE SECTOR. I WAS ORDERED TO WORK THE HDOF POS. UPON PLUGGING IN, I SAW THAT 2 ACFT WERE IN ZCJ AIRSPACE W/O A HDOF AND 1 ACFT IN AN ADJACENT SECTOR W/O A HDOF, AND ANOTHER ACFT IN A WARNING AREA W/O A POINTOUT. TWO ACFT WERE IN IMMEDIATE CONFLICT. I TOLD THE RADAR CTLR FIVE TIMES TO SEPARATE THE TWO ACFT IN CONFLICT. THE RADAR CTLR FROZE. AT THE VERY LAST INSTANT HE TOOK ACTION. THE MANUAL CTLR WAS USELESS. THE SUPVR SAID THAT THE CHANNEL (AR RTES) WAS CLOSED AND TO GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE WARNING AREA (WE CAN POINT OUT ACFT TO THE USING AGENCY). I STATED THIS TO THE SUPVR AND HE SAID WE CANNOT. HE THEN SAID THAT WE HAD TO PROVIDE 20 MI IN TRAIL TO ZCJ. HE TOLD THE SUPER HIGH SECTOR TO GIVE ZCJ 40 MI IN TRAIL. HE TOLD THE FEEDING SECTORS NO TFC GOING TO ZCJ (OVER THE WATER-AR RTES). THE SITUATION WAS PURE CHAOS. THE 'E' AREA AND 'F' AREA SUPVRS WERE BOTH GIVING US GRIEF ON THE SECTOR (WE HAD 3 BAYS OF TFC, APPROX 57 FLTS) BECAUSE THEY DID NOT COMMUNICATE. I COULDN'T O MY JOB AS A RESULT. THE TWO JUNIOR FPLS WERE USELESS. I TOLD THE RADAR CTLR HE JUST HAD A DEAL AND HE SAID 'I DON'T CARE, THAT'S THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES.' NO ONE WORKING HAD ANY DARC EXPERIENCE. THE LAST TIME I WORKED IT WAS WHEN THE NAS FAILED. THEY ARE QUALIFING PEOPLE NOT READY FOR CHKOUT. DARC WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WE COULDN'T START TRACKS. THE 'E' AREA SUPVR WAS YELLING FOR US TO STAY ON NAS, WHILE THE 'F' AREA SUPVR WAS YELLING FOR US TO STAY ON DARC. THE FAA IS PRODUCING UNSAFE CTLRS. MGRS DO NOT COMMUNICATE, THE EQUIP IS UNRELIABLE. WE RPT THESE THINGS TO THE SUPVRS BUT NO PAPERWORK IS SENT IN.

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.