Narrative:

I'm an air traffic controller at btr TRACON. I had an operational deviation in june 1990. I know this occurred over 6 months ago, but I just read the issue of NASA requesting atcs input. The beacon radar system at btr is extremely inefficient. Without the beacon radar system, atcs must follow an aircraft as a primary target. (The radar return of the aircraft). This is very difficult sometimes especially with thunderstorms. ATC can't track primary in the area of a thunderstorm depending on radar performance. I had approximately 14-17 aircraft on my frequency under my control. A mixture of arrs and departures. There was 2 lines of WX in the btr area. One line of WX extended off my scope from the southwest-northeast, approximately 35 mi northwest btr and approximately 10 mi wide. Small transport X, at 1000 flying west towards alexandria approach. Small transport X dropped his tag (beacon target) 20 mi nne btr. I then had to follow small transport X as a primary target. Due to the WX, there was alot of PF coordination with other approach controls, houston center, and btr tower. I was very busy coordination random rtes, deviations off route for WX, etc. I just plain forgot about small transport X. When I did remember him, I asked him to recycle his transponder and identify. Sometimes this helps the beacon system reacquire the target (I asked small transport X to do this, when the tag first dropped and it didn't work) I didn't see small transport X's primary beacon target on my scope. I called aex approach and asked if they saw small transport X. The aex approach controller saw small transport X 20 mi southwest aex VORTAC. Luckily for me the aex controller was understanding and nothing was said. The operational deviation was my fault completely. I'm not denying that. The controllers at btr told the maintenance technicians, supervisors and the facility manager about the beacon radar system problem repeatedly. The maintenance technicians said the beacon system was within limits and did nothing else. The btr management choose to ignore the controllers and hope we would forget about the problem. Since then the atcs at btr have filed a ucr (unsatisfactory condition report) on 11/90. The atcs at btr are still waiting for the reply on the air carrier #XXXX. We expect during the middle of jan. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter experience: 2 yrs, 1 yr non-radar. The reporter stated the loss of beacon targets and ARTS tag drop is on going. At the time the ucr was filed the controllers had done a 60 day study and submitted the study with the ucr. Aircraft position, altitude, and time were submitted. As of the date of this callback the only answer to the secra system and tag drop is the facility af and dss are going to do another study. The reporter stated he now holds the aircraft flight progress strip in his hand, as a reminder, if he has a tag drop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT X ENTERED AEX APCH CTL AIRSPACE WITHOUT TRACON TRACON INTERFAC COORD. OPDEV. SITUATION: ONGOING RADAR EQUIPMENT PROBLEM.

Narrative: I'M AN AIR TFC CTLR AT BTR TRACON. I HAD AN OPERATIONAL DEV IN JUNE 1990. I KNOW THIS OCCURRED OVER 6 MONTHS AGO, BUT I JUST READ THE ISSUE OF NASA REQUESTING ATCS INPUT. THE BEACON RADAR SYS AT BTR IS EXTREMELY INEFFICIENT. WITHOUT THE BEACON RADAR SYS, ATCS MUST FOLLOW AN ACFT AS A PRIMARY TARGET. (THE RADAR RETURN OF THE ACFT). THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT SOMETIMES ESPECIALLY WITH TSTMS. ATC CAN'T TRACK PRIMARY IN THE AREA OF A TSTM DEPENDING ON RADAR PERFORMANCE. I HAD APPROX 14-17 ACFT ON MY FREQ UNDER MY CTL. A MIXTURE OF ARRS AND DEPS. THERE WAS 2 LINES OF WX IN THE BTR AREA. ONE LINE OF WX EXTENDED OFF MY SCOPE FROM THE SW-NE, APPROX 35 MI NW BTR AND APPROX 10 MI WIDE. SMT X, AT 1000 FLYING W TOWARDS ALEXANDRIA APCH. SMT X DROPPED HIS TAG (BEACON TARGET) 20 MI NNE BTR. I THEN HAD TO FOLLOW SMT X AS A PRIMARY TARGET. DUE TO THE WX, THERE WAS ALOT OF PF COORD WITH OTHER APCH CTLS, HOUSTON CTR, AND BTR TWR. I WAS VERY BUSY COORD RANDOM RTES, DEVS OFF RTE FOR WX, ETC. I JUST PLAIN FORGOT ABOUT SMT X. WHEN I DID REMEMBER HIM, I ASKED HIM TO RECYCLE HIS XPONDER AND IDENT. SOMETIMES THIS HELPS THE BEACON SYS REACQUIRE THE TARGET (I ASKED SMT X TO DO THIS, WHEN THE TAG FIRST DROPPED AND IT DIDN'T WORK) I DIDN'T SEE SMT X'S PRIMARY BEACON TARGET ON MY SCOPE. I CALLED AEX APCH AND ASKED IF THEY SAW SMT X. THE AEX APCH CTLR SAW SMT X 20 MI SW AEX VORTAC. LUCKILY FOR ME THE AEX CTLR WAS UNDERSTANDING AND NOTHING WAS SAID. THE OPERATIONAL DEV WAS MY FAULT COMPLETELY. I'M NOT DENYING THAT. THE CTLRS AT BTR TOLD THE MAINT TECHNICIANS, SUPVRS AND THE FAC MGR ABOUT THE BEACON RADAR SYS PROB REPEATEDLY. THE MAINT TECHNICIANS SAID THE BEACON SYS WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND DID NOTHING ELSE. THE BTR MGMNT CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE CTLRS AND HOPE WE WOULD FORGET ABOUT THE PROB. SINCE THEN THE ATCS AT BTR HAVE FILED A UCR (UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION RPT) ON 11/90. THE ATCS AT BTR ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE REPLY ON THE ACR #XXXX. WE EXPECT DURING THE MIDDLE OF JAN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EXPERIENCE: 2 YRS, 1 YR NON-RADAR. THE RPTR STATED THE LOSS OF BEACON TARGETS AND ARTS TAG DROP IS ON GOING. AT THE TIME THE UCR WAS FILED THE CTLRS HAD DONE A 60 DAY STUDY AND SUBMITTED THE STUDY WITH THE UCR. ACFT POS, ALT, AND TIME WERE SUBMITTED. AS OF THE DATE OF THIS CALLBACK THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE SECRA SYS AND TAG DROP IS THE FAC AF AND DSS ARE GOING TO DO ANOTHER STUDY. THE RPTR STATED HE NOW HOLDS THE ACFT FLT PROGRESS STRIP IN HIS HAND, AS A REMINDER, IF HE HAS A TAG DROP.

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.