Radar equipment problem radar tracking problem coasting non detection of aircraft by TRACON radar.

Attributes
ACN	201456
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 7000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	201456
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Our coasting problems with our radar is to the point where a hazardous condition exists. We have bad coasting problems throughout our airspace, but some areas are much worse then others. When O'hare is landing on parallel 27's, the situation is dangerous! Attached is a list of aircraft within a 20 min time frame. These aircraft all went into coasting status at different times and phases of the approach. With some of these, we lost the 'ARTS tag' secondary and primary targets! It was like a black hole. You just had to guess when to turn the aircraft for the intercept! Sooner or later disaster is going to strike! This list includes only arrs and only as many as I could write. There were more. This list includes aircraft call sign, type aircraft, zulu time of coasting and approximately how many sweeps the aircraft was in coast. It also includes at what phase of the approach the aircraft was on. (D) -- downwind, (B) -- base, (F) -- final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR EQUIP PROBLEM RADAR TRACKING PROBLEM COASTING NON DETECTION OF ACFT BY TRACON RADAR.

Narrative: OUR COASTING PROBLEMS WITH OUR RADAR IS TO THE POINT WHERE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION EXISTS. WE HAVE BAD COASTING PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT OUR AIRSPACE, BUT SOME AREAS ARE MUCH WORSE THEN OTHERS. WHEN O'HARE IS LNDG ON PARALLEL 27'S, THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS! ATTACHED IS A LIST OF ACFT WITHIN A 20 MIN TIME FRAME. THESE ACFT ALL WENT INTO COASTING STATUS AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND PHASES OF THE APCH. WITH SOME OF THESE, WE LOST THE 'ARTS TAG' SECONDARY AND PRIMARY TARGETS! IT WAS LIKE A BLACK HOLE. YOU JUST HAD TO GUESS WHEN TO TURN THE ACFT FOR THE INTERCEPT! SOONER OR LATER DISASTER IS GOING TO STRIKE! THIS LIST INCLUDES ONLY ARRS AND ONLY AS MANY AS I COULD WRITE. THERE WERE MORE. THIS LIST INCLUDES ACFT CALL SIGN, TYPE ACFT, ZULU TIME OF COASTING AND APPROX HOW MANY SWEEPS THE ACFT WAS IN COAST. IT ALSO INCLUDES AT WHAT PHASE OF THE APCH THE ACFT WAS ON. (D) -- DOWNWIND, (B) -- BASE, (F) -- FINAL.

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.