Narrative:

Working combined sectors holding 7 plus 7 overflts. The size of holding patterns required numerous vectors and the use of wrong for direction altitudes to separate holding aircraft from overflts. When I plugged in on the left side it was too busy for a briefing. The d-side had strips in the bay up to 45 mins overdue and no strip marking on aircraft. We had the handoff on. After sitting there 5 or 10 mins I started asking the d-side to get the strips up to date. He removed 1 or 2 then went back to watching us. Soon after the radar completely failed. The scope went totally blank. We had never seen anything like this and we assumed we had lost everything. After checking we did have darc. I was rushing to re-point out aircraft and ensure handoffs had been accepted by the correct sector. The sector above me called to say he had air carrier X but didn't know where he was; i.e., no data tag, no limited data block. I asked what altitude air carrier X was at and his position. He stated he didn't know. Then he said he was in C/a with air carrier Y flight. I saw no C/a and asked what he wanted me to do. He stated he didn't care, that the aircraft were in my airspace. Suddenly realizing there is no C/a in darc, I pushed aside the radar man and selected primary radar. It was working again. Air carrier X and air carrier Y were in C/a 30-40 mi apart head-on at FL310 centerline of the arwy. Air carrier Y had been moved to FL310 to miss aircraft in both holding stacks. No full or limited data block was displayed on either aircraft in darc. We turned air carrier Y with an expeditious 90 degree turn and ended up with approximately 9-10 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR EQUIPMENT PROBLEM FAILURE POTENTIAL LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: WORKING COMBINED SECTORS HOLDING 7 PLUS 7 OVERFLTS. THE SIZE OF HOLDING PATTERNS REQUIRED NUMEROUS VECTORS AND THE USE OF WRONG FOR DIRECTION ALTS TO SEPARATE HOLDING ACFT FROM OVERFLTS. WHEN I PLUGGED IN ON THE LEFT SIDE IT WAS TOO BUSY FOR A BRIEFING. THE D-SIDE HAD STRIPS IN THE BAY UP TO 45 MINS OVERDUE AND NO STRIP MARKING ON ACFT. WE HAD THE HDOF ON. AFTER SITTING THERE 5 OR 10 MINS I STARTED ASKING THE D-SIDE TO GET THE STRIPS UP TO DATE. HE REMOVED 1 OR 2 THEN WENT BACK TO WATCHING US. SOON AFTER THE RADAR COMPLETELY FAILED. THE SCOPE WENT TOTALLY BLANK. WE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND WE ASSUMED WE HAD LOST EVERYTHING. AFTER CHKING WE DID HAVE DARC. I WAS RUSHING TO RE-POINT OUT ACFT AND ENSURE HDOFS HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE CORRECT SECTOR. THE SECTOR ABOVE ME CALLED TO SAY HE HAD ACR X BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS; I.E., NO DATA TAG, NO LIMITED DATA BLOCK. I ASKED WHAT ALT ACR X WAS AT AND HIS POS. HE STATED HE DIDN'T KNOW. THEN HE SAID HE WAS IN C/A WITH ACR Y FLT. I SAW NO C/A AND ASKED WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO. HE STATED HE DIDN'T CARE, THAT THE ACFT WERE IN MY AIRSPACE. SUDDENLY REALIZING THERE IS NO C/A IN DARC, I PUSHED ASIDE THE RADAR MAN AND SELECTED PRIMARY RADAR. IT WAS WORKING AGAIN. ACR X AND ACR Y WERE IN C/A 30-40 MI APART HEAD-ON AT FL310 CENTERLINE OF THE ARWY. ACR Y HAD BEEN MOVED TO FL310 TO MISS ACFT IN BOTH HOLDING STACKS. NO FULL OR LIMITED DATA BLOCK WAS DISPLAYED ON EITHER ACFT IN DARC. WE TURNED ACR Y WITH AN EXPEDITIOUS 90 DEG TURN AND ENDED UP WITH APPROX 9-10 MI.

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.