Radar site is dropping beacon targets when aircraft are 60 mi away and below 11000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	225778
Time
Date	199211
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sux
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sux
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 7 controller radar : 7
ASRS Report	225778
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical 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	other physical facility
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

The radar site at the sux airport sits on the lowest part of the airport and due to the bluffs either side of the airport, radar coverage is poor below 11000 ft and within 60 NM. This combined with the ASR 7A and ARTS 2A dropping beacon targets, the controller may lose an aircraft's target altogether. The solution would be to upgrade and relocate the radar site. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter claims that a new computer program patch is scheduled for installation in 1 or 2 months that supposedly will correct the problem of dropping beacon targets. However, reporter still feels that the problem is antenna location and not a computer problem. He said that aircraft at 20 mi away from radar site and below 7000 ft generally won't be observed on radar, and also 60 mi out below 11000 ft. Aircraft are seldom worked by the controller that far away from the antenna. A ucr has not been filed. He said that this problem has existed for at least 2 yrs. Facility management is aware of problem. Reporter will keep ASRS informed on the status and working conditions of the new patch once installed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR SITE IS DROPPING BEACON TARGETS WHEN ACFT ARE 60 MI AWAY AND BELOW 11000 FT.

Narrative: THE RADAR SITE AT THE SUX ARPT SITS ON THE LOWEST PART OF THE ARPT AND DUE TO THE BLUFFS EITHER SIDE OF THE ARPT, RADAR COVERAGE IS POOR BELOW 11000 FT AND WITHIN 60 NM. THIS COMBINED WITH THE ASR 7A AND ARTS 2A DROPPING BEACON TARGETS, THE CTLR MAY LOSE AN ACFT'S TARGET ALTOGETHER. THE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO UPGRADE AND RELOCATE THE RADAR SITE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CLAIMS THAT A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM PATCH IS SCHEDULED FOR INSTALLATION IN 1 OR 2 MONTHS THAT SUPPOSEDLY WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF DROPPING BEACON TARGETS. HOWEVER, RPTR STILL FEELS THAT THE PROBLEM IS ANTENNA LOCATION AND NOT A COMPUTER PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT ACFT AT 20 MI AWAY FROM RADAR SITE AND BELOW 7000 FT GENERALLY WON'T BE OBSERVED ON RADAR, AND ALSO 60 MI OUT BELOW 11000 FT. ACFT ARE SELDOM WORKED BY THE CTLR THAT FAR AWAY FROM THE ANTENNA. A UCR HAS NOT BEEN FILED. HE SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR AT LEAST 2 YRS. FACILITY MGMNT IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. RPTR WILL KEEP ASRS INFORMED ON THE STATUS AND WORKING CONDITIONS OF THE NEW PATCH ONCE INSTALLED.

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.