Narrative:

While vectoring 4 aircraft on IFR flight plans for vap to civilian military airport, I took a radar handoff on mlt X arrival. Pilot was switched by ZBW to me but failed to establish communications. Pilot then descended through 3 aircraft and contacted tower for landing instructions. Radar contact was lost at 5800' so how close he came to other aircraft was never established, WX was cavu but other pilots never saw mlt X. Primary radar sensor (swf) was out of service. Back up sensor (hpn) is located some 30 mi away. Coverage very poor. Computer data revealed no radar tracking on mlt X primary target below 5800'. FAA claims this system is flawless. Also, the tower is a contracted operation and although I called them seven times with inbnds, they never answered. The landlines checked out ok. When radar contact was lost with mlt X I vectored the 3 other aircraft away from the last known position. Instead of bowing to political pressure to commission new, untested radar sensors, the FAA should say it is not ready to operate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporter asked if there was follow up action to the mlt X incident. Reporter stated the contract about not answering the coordination line and they were asked about mlt X flight crew names so a violation could be filed. The flight crew of mlt X had departed for saudi arabia and the pilot's name could not be ascertained. The radar coverage area has been ucr'd and no answer has been received. Reporter was advised to follow-up with his supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLT X MADE VISUAL APCH TO ARPT WITHOUT CLRNC. PLTDEV.

Narrative: WHILE VECTORING 4 ACFT ON IFR FLT PLANS FOR VAP TO CIVILIAN MIL ARPT, I TOOK A RADAR HDOF ON MLT X ARR. PLT WAS SWITCHED BY ZBW TO ME BUT FAILED TO ESTABLISH COMS. PLT THEN DSNDED THROUGH 3 ACFT AND CONTACTED TWR FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 5800' SO HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO OTHER ACFT WAS NEVER ESTABLISHED, WX WAS CAVU BUT OTHER PLTS NEVER SAW MLT X. PRIMARY RADAR SENSOR (SWF) WAS OUT OF SVC. BACK UP SENSOR (HPN) IS LOCATED SOME 30 MI AWAY. COVERAGE VERY POOR. COMPUTER DATA REVEALED NO RADAR TRACKING ON MLT X PRIMARY TARGET BELOW 5800'. FAA CLAIMS THIS SYS IS FLAWLESS. ALSO, THE TWR IS A CONTRACTED OPERATION AND ALTHOUGH I CALLED THEM SEVEN TIMES WITH INBNDS, THEY NEVER ANSWERED. THE LANDLINES CHKED OUT OK. WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST WITH MLT X I VECTORED THE 3 OTHER ACFT AWAY FROM THE LAST KNOWN POS. INSTEAD OF BOWING TO POLITICAL PRESSURE TO COMMISSION NEW, UNTESTED RADAR SENSORS, THE FAA SHOULD SAY IT IS NOT READY TO OPERATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTR ASKED IF THERE WAS FOLLOW UP ACTION TO THE MLT X INCIDENT. RPTR STATED THE CONTRACT ABOUT NOT ANSWERING THE COORD LINE AND THEY WERE ASKED ABOUT MLT X FLT CREW NAMES SO A VIOLATION COULD BE FILED. THE FLT CREW OF MLT X HAD DEPARTED FOR SAUDI ARABIA AND THE PLT'S NAME COULD NOT BE ASCERTAINED. THE RADAR COVERAGE AREA HAS BEEN UCR'D AND NO ANSWER HAS BEEN RECEIVED. RPTR WAS ADVISED TO FOLLOW-UP WITH HIS SUPVR.

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.