 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
ATC equipment problem ASR-9 radar system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 188272 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199108 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : slc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 188272 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Our radar system here is unsafe. Since implementation of the ASR-9, we have filed 4 ucr's to no avail. The last ucr being filed on 8/X/91. Radar targets frequently drop off completely -- for several sweeps (they do not coast, they completely disappear!) ARTS data becomes unusable when targets overlap. Targets jump around, there are many false targets, the WX system is unreliable, etc. Radar targets frequently drop off. This can occur intermittently for 20 to 30 mi. After a target drops, beacon acquisition often does not occur. Numerous false targets. Often targets are observed I direct conflict with traffic and then the target disappears. Numerics and position symbols often trail mi behind the actual target. Altitudes and speeds are erratic and unusable when 1 transponder equipped aircraft gets within the vicinity of another transponder equipped aircraft. Beacon primary targets occasionally 'jump around' and indicate erroneous position and/or direction of flight. When transponder aircraft fly over unidented 1200 beacons, the numeric call sign may change to read a 'prestored' call sign. The WX portion of the radar is unreliable. The radar occasionally shows nonexistent WX. Or, more frequently, aircraft deviation around WX we do not show.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATC EQUIP PROBLEM ASR-9 RADAR SYS.
Narrative: OUR RADAR SYS HERE IS UNSAFE. SINCE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASR-9, WE HAVE FILED 4 UCR'S TO NO AVAIL. THE LAST UCR BEING FILED ON 8/X/91. RADAR TARGETS FREQUENTLY DROP OFF COMPLETELY -- FOR SEVERAL SWEEPS (THEY DO NOT COAST, THEY COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR!) ARTS DATA BECOMES UNUSABLE WHEN TARGETS OVERLAP. TARGETS JUMP AROUND, THERE ARE MANY FALSE TARGETS, THE WX SYS IS UNRELIABLE, ETC. RADAR TARGETS FREQUENTLY DROP OFF. THIS CAN OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY FOR 20 TO 30 MI. AFTER A TARGET DROPS, BEACON ACQUISITION OFTEN DOES NOT OCCUR. NUMEROUS FALSE TARGETS. OFTEN TARGETS ARE OBSERVED I DIRECT CONFLICT WITH TFC AND THEN THE TARGET DISAPPEARS. NUMERICS AND POS SYMBOLS OFTEN TRAIL MI BEHIND THE ACTUAL TARGET. ALTS AND SPDS ARE ERRATIC AND UNUSABLE WHEN 1 TRANSPONDER EQUIPPED ACFT GETS WITHIN THE VICINITY OF ANOTHER TRANSPONDER EQUIPPED ACFT. BEACON PRIMARY TARGETS OCCASIONALLY 'JUMP AROUND' AND INDICATE ERRONEOUS POS AND/OR DIRECTION OF FLT. WHEN TRANSPONDER ACFT FLY OVER UNIDENTED 1200 BEACONS, THE NUMERIC CALL SIGN MAY CHANGE TO READ A 'PRESTORED' CALL SIGN. THE WX PORTION OF THE RADAR IS UNRELIABLE. THE RADAR OCCASIONALLY SHOWS NONEXISTENT WX. OR, MORE FREQUENTLY, ACFT DEV AROUND WX WE DO NOT SHOW.
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.