Controller reporter states that receiver capability at the position occasionally becomes inoperative...

Attributes
ACN	228529
Time
Date	199212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mke
State Reference	WI
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mke
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	228529
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 other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

3 aircraft tried to call me while working approach/departure radar. I was unable to hear them and also unable to communicate with another ATC sector via a 'landline.' this outage apparently lasted for a min or two. We have been experiencing a lot of this recently at this facility, and maintenance is unable to find the problem. Given the right situation, this could have disastrous results! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a team from okc and the factory representative was at the facility several weeks to work on the icss equipment. Apparently they found bad computer cards and replaced them. However, the problem still exists. 2 ucr's have been filed. Icss started giving them problems about 6 months ago. It has been in the facility since jul/86. Supposedly an operational error was charged to a controller recently that involved loss of communication. Less than standard separation had already occurred and the controller was attempting to take some action to try to gain more separation when the communication went out. Reporter stated that he thought that aircraft could still transmit because the receiver light indicator flickers, but cannot be heard by the controller. It primarily happens on 2 position, but may also occur on the other position. Outage usually lasts from 10-30 seconds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR RPTR STATES THAT RECEIVER CAPABILITY AT THE POS OCCASIONALLY BECOMES INOP.

Narrative: 3 ACFT TRIED TO CALL ME WHILE WORKING APCH/DEP RADAR. I WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THEM AND ALSO UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANOTHER ATC SECTOR VIA A 'LANDLINE.' THIS OUTAGE APPARENTLY LASTED FOR A MIN OR TWO. WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A LOT OF THIS RECENTLY AT THIS FACILITY, AND MAINT IS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROB. GIVEN THE RIGHT SIT, THIS COULD HAVE DISASTROUS RESULTS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A TEAM FROM OKC AND THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE WAS AT THE FACILITY SEVERAL WKS TO WORK ON THE ICSS EQUIP. APPARENTLY THEY FOUND BAD COMPUTER CARDS AND REPLACED THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROB STILL EXISTS. 2 UCR'S HAVE BEEN FILED. ICSS STARTED GIVING THEM PROBS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. IT HAS BEEN IN THE FACILITY SINCE JUL/86. SUPPOSEDLY AN OPERROR WAS CHARGED TO A CTLR RECENTLY THAT INVOLVED LOSS OF COM. LTSS HAD ALREADY OCCURRED AND THE CTLR WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE SOME ACTION TO TRY TO GAIN MORE SEPARATION WHEN THE COM WENT OUT. RPTR STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT ACFT COULD STILL XMIT BECAUSE THE RECEIVER LIGHT INDICATOR FLICKERS, BUT CANNOT BE HEARD BY THE CTLR. IT PRIMARILY HAPPENS ON 2 POS, BUT MAY ALSO OCCUR ON THE OTHER POS. OUTAGE USUALLY LASTS FROM 10-30 SECONDS.

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.