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Reporter says that ATC facility cannot see on radar emergency squawks when the emergency mode is selected.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 219023 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199208 |
| Day | Fri |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : aus |
| State Reference | TX |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sav |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| ASRS Report | 219023 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
I fly in austin, tx, and surrounding areas. A friend of mine who also flies in my area is also an air traffic controller for the FAA. My friend tells me that due to a software glitch at austin TRACON, transponders which have an 'emergency' setting, such as (transponder manufacturer) and the military transponders, will not be shown as squawking emergency. Pilots using this equipment must now use '7-7-0-0' vice 'emergency,' I was told houston ARTCC will pick up these 'emergency' aircraft, but what happens to those low fliers near austin that houston does not see? If austin TRACON has 'officially' released this information I can't find it. I thanked my friend for the information and hope you can sort this out so -- if true -- other pilots will hear of this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Called facility and found out that the reporter is correct, however, the problem has recently been fixed. Apparently, they discovered that the ASR-9 radar system will not process emergency squawks on equipment that has an emergency select feature, only when 7700 is used will it appear. This facility idented the problem and the FAA tech center did the rest of the work and changed the software at all ASR-9 locations. They have had no problems since the software change.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR SAYS THAT ATC FACILITY CANNOT SEE ON RADAR EMER SQUAWKS WHEN THE EMER MODE IS SELECTED.
Narrative: I FLY IN AUSTIN, TX, AND SURROUNDING AREAS. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO ALSO FLIES IN MY AREA IS ALSO AN AIR TFC CTLR FOR THE FAA. MY FRIEND TELLS ME THAT DUE TO A SOFTWARE GLITCH AT AUSTIN TRACON, TRANSPONDERS WHICH HAVE AN 'EMER' SETTING, SUCH AS (TRANSPONDER MANUFACTURER) AND THE MIL TRANSPONDERS, WILL NOT BE SHOWN AS SQUAWKING EMER. PLTS USING THIS EQUIP MUST NOW USE '7-7-0-0' VICE 'EMER,' I WAS TOLD HOUSTON ARTCC WILL PICK UP THESE 'EMER' ACFT, BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE LOW FLIERS NEAR AUSTIN THAT HOUSTON DOES NOT SEE? IF AUSTIN TRACON HAS 'OFFICIALLY' RELEASED THIS INFO I CAN'T FIND IT. I THANKED MY FRIEND FOR THE INFO AND HOPE YOU CAN SORT THIS OUT SO -- IF TRUE -- OTHER PLTS WILL HEAR OF THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLED FACILITY AND FOUND OUT THAT THE RPTR IS CORRECT, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAS RECENTLY BEEN FIXED. APPARENTLY, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE ASR-9 RADAR SYS WILL NOT PROCESS EMER SQUAWKS ON EQUIP THAT HAS AN EMER SELECT FEATURE, ONLY WHEN 7700 IS USED WILL IT APPEAR. THIS FACILITY IDENTED THE PROBLEM AND THE FAA TECH CTR DID THE REST OF THE WORK AND CHANGED THE SOFTWARE AT ALL ASR-9 LOCATIONS. THEY HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE THE SOFTWARE CHANGE.
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.