Narrative:

Light transport X on visibility approach to runway 1 at cak drifted off course to the east of final. A small aircraft Y on visibility approach to runway 32 was on a collision course with light transport X. I was working approach control and as soon as I recognized the potential problem developing I called local control to alert the controller to the problem. The local controller did not understand me on the telephone line. I hung up the phone line and issued a clearance to small aircraft Y to make an immediate right turn heading zero five zero. The two aircraft came within about one mi of each other. Akron-canton tower and approach control had had many problems with the telephone system. This system is about 30 yrs old and the phone company does not have any spare parts to repair it. There has been at least one ucr filed on this system by the supervisors at cak but there seems to be no response from the FAA. The phone system at cak has recently been worse then ever. Last week there was only one telephone company position in the TRACON during a time when there was moderate traffic and thunderstorms creating a very heavy workload and complex situation for one controller. During this type of workload cak usually splits their airspace to an east and west sector however, most of the last week of may there was only one position available. Communication is critical to ATC performance and the safety of the system is compromised when any ATC communication is hampered. This old telephone company system is going to cause a serious problem if it is not replaced soon. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated that their present telephone company system is a 301 system that is maintained by a major communication company. One of the problems seems to be not being able to override various positions. The voice quality is bad and at times, not understandable. This is an old system and parts in many cases are not available. It is an ongoing problem that has been with them for time. Additionally, the reporter stated that telephone company experience level has gone downhill since the former technician retired. Several ucr's have been filed. The facility recently had an evaluation and confirmed the poor quality of telephone company lines. As a result of the recent evaluation, the reporter stated that the facility has been given higher priority in replacing telephone company equipment with newer equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO ACFT ON CONFLICTING FINALS COME IN CLOSE PROX TO ONE ANOTHER WHEN INTRAFAC COORD FAILS.

Narrative: LTT X ON VIS APCH TO RWY 1 AT CAK DRIFTED OFF COURSE TO THE E OF FINAL. A SMA Y ON VIS APCH TO RWY 32 WAS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH LTT X. I WAS WORKING APCH CTL AND AS SOON AS I RECOGNIZED THE POTENTIAL PROB DEVELOPING I CALLED LCL CTL TO ALERT THE CTLR TO THE PROB. THE LCL CTLR DID NOT UNDERSTAND ME ON THE TELEPHONE LINE. I HUNG UP THE PHONE LINE AND ISSUED A CLRNC TO SMA Y TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN HDG ZERO FIVE ZERO. THE TWO ACFT CAME WITHIN ABOUT ONE MI OF EACH OTHER. AKRON-CANTON TWR AND APCH CTL HAD HAD MANY PROBS WITH THE TELEPHONE SYS. THIS SYS IS ABOUT 30 YRS OLD AND THE PHONE COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE ANY SPARE PARTS TO REPAIR IT. THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST ONE UCR FILED ON THIS SYS BY THE SUPVRS AT CAK BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RESPONSE FROM THE FAA. THE PHONE SYS AT CAK HAS RECENTLY BEEN WORSE THEN EVER. LAST WK THERE WAS ONLY ONE TELCO POS IN THE TRACON DURING A TIME WHEN THERE WAS MODERATE TFC AND TSTMS CREATING A VERY HVY WORKLOAD AND COMPLEX SITUATION FOR ONE CTLR. DURING THIS TYPE OF WORKLOAD CAK USUALLY SPLITS THEIR AIRSPACE TO AN E AND W SECTOR HOWEVER, MOST OF THE LAST WK OF MAY THERE WAS ONLY ONE POS AVAILABLE. COM IS CRITICAL TO ATC PERFORMANCE AND THE SAFETY OF THE SYS IS COMPROMISED WHEN ANY ATC COM IS HAMPERED. THIS OLD TELCO SYS IS GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS PROB IF IT IS NOT REPLACED SOON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT THEIR PRESENT TELCO SYS IS A 301 SYS THAT IS MAINTAINED BY A MAJOR COM COMPANY. ONE OF THE PROBS SEEMS TO BE NOT BEING ABLE TO OVERRIDE VARIOUS POSITIONS. THE VOICE QUALITY IS BAD AND AT TIMES, NOT UNDERSTANDABLE. THIS IS AN OLD SYS AND PARTS IN MANY CASES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. IT IS AN ONGOING PROB THAT HAS BEEN WITH THEM FOR TIME. ADDITIONALLY, THE RPTR STATED THAT TELCO EXPERIENCE LEVEL HAS GONE DOWNHILL SINCE THE FORMER TECHNICIAN RETIRED. SEVERAL UCR'S HAVE BEEN FILED. THE FAC RECENTLY HAD AN EVALUATION AND CONFIRMED THE POOR QUALITY OF TELCO LINES. AS A RESULT OF THE RECENT EVALUATION, THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FAC HAS BEEN GIVEN HIGHER PRIORITY IN REPLACING TELCO EQUIP WITH NEWER EQUIP.

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.