Numerous full or partial ILS outages occurred at facility over a 3 month period. Pilot deviation att...

Attributes
ACN	214559
Time
Date	199204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ama
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ama
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	214559
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

This is notify you of a problem with the ILS system at ama international. I feel it has created a safety problem. There was a total of 39 days with either full or partial outages out of a possible 93. During the last half of may the WX in the area was continually IFR and we were forced to land numerous acfts with tail winds due to no viable approach to runway 4. There was one pilot deviation that almost cost peoples lives that never would of happened had the ILS been up. I realize that any piece of equipment will have some down time, but feel this well exceeded any reasonable persons norm and has been a safety hazard to the flying public. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Maintenance technicians were training on the ILS equipment during these periods. That explains the long outages. Had no training been done at this time, the outages would have been considerably less. Technicians were installing new cabling and wanted to get as many through the training program as possible. Reporter says that the ILS is operating ok now. They have not had any outages since then.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NUMEROUS FULL OR PARTIAL ILS OUTAGES OCCURRED AT FAC OVER A 3 MONTH PERIOD. PLTDEV ATTRIBUTED TO ONE OUTAGE.

Narrative: THIS IS NOTIFY YOU OF A PROBLEM WITH THE ILS SYS AT AMA INTL. I FEEL IT HAS CREATED A SAFETY PROBLEM. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 39 DAYS WITH EITHER FULL OR PARTIAL OUTAGES OUT OF A POSSIBLE 93. DURING THE LAST HALF OF MAY THE WX IN THE AREA WAS CONTINUALLY IFR AND WE WERE FORCED TO LAND NUMEROUS ACFTS WITH TAIL WINDS DUE TO NO VIABLE APCH TO RWY 4. THERE WAS ONE PLTDEV THAT ALMOST COST PEOPLES LIVES THAT NEVER WOULD OF HAPPENED HAD THE ILS BEEN UP. I REALIZE THAT ANY PIECE OF EQUIP WILL HAVE SOME DOWN TIME, BUT FEEL THIS WELL EXCEEDED ANY REASONABLE PERSONS NORM AND HAS BEEN A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE FLYING PUBLIC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. MAINT TECHNICIANS WERE TRAINING ON THE ILS EQUIP DURING THESE PERIODS. THAT EXPLAINS THE LONG OUTAGES. HAD NO TRAINING BEEN DONE AT THIS TIME, THE OUTAGES WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY LESS. TECHNICIANS WERE INSTALLING NEW CABLING AND WANTED TO GET AS MANY THROUGH THE TRAINING PROGRAM AS POSSIBLE. RPTR SAYS THAT THE ILS IS OPERATING OK NOW. THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY OUTAGES SINCE THEN.

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.

Numerous full or partial ILS outages occurred at facility over a 3 month period. Pilot deviation attributed to one outage.