Narrative:

MTR X departed hill air force base. There was no radar tracking of this aircraft primary or secondary. This sort of problem has been occurring for over 2 yrs now. MTR X was instructed to make a right turn on departure, instead, he made a left turn. Due to the fact that there was no radar coverage, I was unable to detect this mistake until the aircraft target acquired 2 mi east of hill air force base. The mountains in this area are up 11000 ft. The aircraft was level at 7000 ft. This occurred despite the fact that I had verified that the aircraft was making a right turn. Due to this radar problem we are unable to provide the service we need, and want to on a consistent basis. It is my firm belief that someone is going to have an aircraft accident, and lives potentially lost due to this situation. It is also unfair that the private pilots are not aware that a problem as serious as this one is affecting the service they are receiving. We are required to issue traffic information to these aircraft and are unable to do so in many instances because we do not see the other aircraft. We also lose track on IFR aircraft and are unable to provide them the service they need. As I mentioned, we have reported this problem for over 2 yrs and there has been no fix. On the same date this incident happened, I asked my supervisor what was going on. His reply was there was nothing we could do. He had talked to the person in charge of buying the ASR-9 for the FAA about this problem personally. This individual said that this radar was 'a piece of shit.' also, the FAA couldn't do anything because 'they had already invested too much money.' this is wrong, that lives are put in jeopardy because of money. It is also wrong that the day someone is hurt or possibly killed in an aircraft accident, because of this problem, we'll then see something happen about it. But first a controller, and pilots, will have to experience something terrible to make this change come about. Because of the lack of support from the FAA at large, I have decided to take this issue to congressman X. I will make a copy of this report and give it to him. Thank you.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR RPTS THAT MIL ACFT DEPARTED AND MADE WRONG TURN. RADAR DIDN OT DETECT ACFT UNTIL LATER.

Narrative: MTR X DEPARTED HILL AIR FORCE BASE. THERE WAS NO RADAR TRACKING OF THIS ACFT PRIMARY OR SECONDARY. THIS SORT OF PROB HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER 2 YRS NOW. MTR X WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A R TURN ON DEP, INSTEAD, HE MADE A L TURN. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO RADAR COVERAGE, I WAS UNABLE TO DETECT THIS MISTAKE UNTIL THE ACFT TARGET ACQUIRED 2 MI E OF HILL AIR FORCE BASE. THE MOUNTAINS IN THIS AREA ARE UP 11000 FT. THE ACFT WAS LEVEL AT 7000 FT. THIS OCCURRED DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAD VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT WAS MAKING A R TURN. DUE TO THIS RADAR PROB WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE SVC WE NEED, AND WANT TO ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO HAVE AN ACFT ACCIDENT, AND LIVES POTENTIALLY LOST DUE TO THIS SIT. IT IS ALSO UNFAIR THAT THE PVT PLTS ARE NOT AWARE THAT A PROB AS SERIOUS AS THIS ONE IS AFFECTING THE SVC THEY ARE RECEIVING. WE ARE REQUIRED TO ISSUE TFC INFO TO THESE ACFT AND ARE UNABLE TO DO SO IN MANY INSTANCES BECAUSE WE DO NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT. WE ALSO LOSE TRACK ON IFR ACFT AND ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THEM THE SVC THEY NEED. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE RPTED THIS PROB FOR OVER 2 YRS AND THERE HAS BEEN NO FIX. ON THE SAME DATE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, I ASKED MY SUPVR WHAT WAS GOING ON. HIS REPLY WAS THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO. HE HAD TALKED TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF BUYING THE ASR-9 FOR THE FAA ABOUT THIS PROB PERSONALLY. THIS INDIVIDUAL SAID THAT THIS RADAR WAS 'A PIECE OF SHIT.' ALSO, THE FAA COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE 'THEY HAD ALREADY INVESTED TOO MUCH MONEY.' THIS IS WRONG, THAT LIVES ARE PUT IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE OF MONEY. IT IS ALSO WRONG THAT THE DAY SOMEONE IS HURT OR POSSIBLY KILLED IN AN ACFT ACCIDENT, BECAUSE OF THIS PROB, WE'LL THEN SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN ABOUT IT. BUT FIRST A CTLR, AND PLTS, WILL HAVE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING TERRIBLE TO MAKE THIS CHANGE COME ABOUT. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE FAA AT LARGE, I HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THIS ISSUE TO CONGRESSMAN X. I WILL MAKE A COPY OF THIS RPT AND GIVE IT TO HIM. THANK YOU.

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.