Narrative:

Working sector 19 and 20 combined during very heavy traffic, with one of our radar sites OTS. (It was a scheduled outage). With the radar outage it was necessary to get continuous position reports, this combined with building thunderstorms led to extreme frequency congestion. (It should be noted that there are 3 approach control facilities and 1 busy non approach airport plus military airspace we were working on 4 different frequencys spread over 5 rag sites at the time). We tried to split the hi-altitude sector (20) off but found that there was no frequency on that sector. During all this confusion I got 3 position reports on 3 different air carrier aircraft indicating that they were way out of my airspace. To the best of my knowledge there was no coordination made with seattle center concerning these aircraft. (Suggestion) before management agrees to give up a radar site for 3 dys, a check should be made to ensure that the effected sectors and facilities have the other equipment operable (ie radios, landlines, etc). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter experience 8 yrs radar. 3 air carrier aircraft were ltts. Position aircraft entered ZSE airspace 15 mi east mlp VOR. No operational deviation filed or investigation of incident. ZSE radar controller saw air carrier aircraft in his airspace and told ZLC to send aircraft over.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR EQUIP PROBLEM RADAR OTS FOR MAINT. 3 ACR ACFT UNCOORD AIRSPACE ENTRY FROM ZLC TO ZSE. OPDEV.

Narrative: WORKING SECTOR 19 AND 20 COMBINED DURING VERY HVY TFC, WITH ONE OF OUR RADAR SITES OTS. (IT WAS A SCHEDULED OUTAGE). WITH THE RADAR OUTAGE IT WAS NECESSARY TO GET CONTINUOUS POS RPTS, THIS COMBINED WITH BUILDING TSTMS LED TO EXTREME FREQ CONGESTION. (IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE ARE 3 APCH CTL FACILITIES AND 1 BUSY NON APCH ARPT PLUS MIL AIRSPACE WE WERE WORKING ON 4 DIFFERENT FREQS SPREAD OVER 5 RAG SITES AT THE TIME). WE TRIED TO SPLIT THE HI-ALT SECTOR (20) OFF BUT FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO FREQ ON THAT SECTOR. DURING ALL THIS CONFUSION I GOT 3 POS RPTS ON 3 DIFFERENT ACR ACFT INDICATING THAT THEY WERE WAY OUT OF MY AIRSPACE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO COORD MADE WITH SEATTLE CENTER CONCERNING THESE ACFT. (SUGGESTION) BEFORE MGMNT AGREES TO GIVE UP A RADAR SITE FOR 3 DYS, A CHK SHOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE EFFECTED SECTORS AND FACILITIES HAVE THE OTHER EQUIP OPERABLE (IE RADIOS, LANDLINES, ETC). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EXPERIENCE 8 YRS RADAR. 3 ACR ACFT WERE LTTS. POS ACFT ENTERED ZSE AIRSPACE 15 MI E MLP VOR. NO OPDEV FILED OR INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT. ZSE RADAR CTLR SAW ACR ACFT IN HIS AIRSPACE AND TOLD ZLC TO SEND ACFT OVER.

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.