Asde out of service.

Attributes
ACN	166091
Time
Date	199012
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Flight Phase	landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	166091
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	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 airport surface detection equipment (asde) at atlanta tower, is in need of serious attention, it is unreliable, and therefore unusable for sep most of the time it is needed. It seems that the second busiest facility in the USA could have a radar system that could be dependable and usable for ATC. The asde is a good tool when it is working properly. It alleviates numerous pilot reports such as landing assured, airborne, and reporting clear of active runways with the volume of traffic that moves through hartsfield it would seem that a 'good' tool would not be that big of a request.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ASDE OUT OF SERVICE.

Narrative: THE ARPT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIP (ASDE) AT ATLANTA TWR, IS IN NEED OF SERIOUS ATTN, IT IS UNRELIABLE, AND THEREFORE UNUSABLE FOR SEP MOST OF THE TIME IT IS NEEDED. IT SEEMS THAT THE SEC BUSIEST FAC IN THE USA COULD HAVE A RADAR SYS THAT COULD BE DEPENDABLE AND USABLE FOR ATC. THE ASDE IS A GOOD TOOL WHEN IT IS WORKING PROPERLY. IT ALLEVIATES NUMEROUS PLT RPTS SUCH AS LNDG ASSURED, AIRBORNE, AND RPTING CLR OF ACTIVE RWYS WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC THAT MOVES THROUGH HARTSFIELD IT WOULD SEEM THAT A 'GOOD' TOOL WOULD NOT BE THAT BIG OF A REQUEST.

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.