Narrative:

Approximately 10 mins before the failure ZFW had to make manual handoffs to my sector. I was working the handoff position for feeder east. We also had a C tag in our airspace and the aft called us. I called the center and asked for a handoff. They replied they already had and showed the track had been handed off to us. Not so, because a C target indicates a center target. I also had to enter several more tracks manually. The ARTS then failed. The a/north's are supposed to freeze on the screen so a controller can still have the call sign and airport information. It did not freeze the information. The screens erased. When the ARTS recovered it recovered on level 5 and not 0. The beginning of the event can be determined by ARTS at XX45Z, but not the cause of the failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTS FAILED.

Narrative: APPROX 10 MINS BEFORE THE FAILURE ZFW HAD TO MAKE MANUAL HDOFS TO MY SECTOR. I WAS WORKING THE HDOF POS FOR FEEDER E. WE ALSO HAD A C TAG IN OUR AIRSPACE AND THE AFT CALLED US. I CALLED THE CENTER AND ASKED FOR A HDOF. THEY REPLIED THEY ALREADY HAD AND SHOWED THE TRACK HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO US. NOT SO, BECAUSE A C TARGET INDICATES A CENTER TARGET. I ALSO HAD TO ENTER SEVERAL MORE TRACKS MANUALLY. THE ARTS THEN FAILED. THE A/N'S ARE SUPPOSED TO FREEZE ON THE SCREEN SO A CTLR CAN STILL HAVE THE CALL SIGN AND ARPT INFO. IT DID NOT FREEZE THE INFO. THE SCREENS ERASED. WHEN THE ARTS RECOVERED IT RECOVERED ON LEVEL 5 AND NOT 0. THE BEGINNING OF THE EVENT CAN BE DETERMINED BY ARTS AT XX45Z, BUT NOT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE.

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.