Narrative:

The purpose of this report is to bring attention to a potentially hazardous situation that has been allowed to exist at detroit metropolitan TRACON for a long, long time. That is the continued use of 'flat scopes' as opposed to 'vertical scopes' at the arrival feeder and jet departure position. Over the past 6 months, 3 operrors (loss of approved radar separation) have occurred by controllers using these outdated pieces of equipment. When the use of these scopes began, in radar rooms across the country, the traffic was but a fraction of what it is today. During normal traffic sits, the noise around these 'flat scopes' is causing many repeat xmissions and increasing the likelihood of missed readbacks. When training is in progress the noise is only increased and the amount of people that are directly around the scope, can at times, make the situation almost unbearable. When vectoring from the side of a flat scope, which is required, the controller cannot provide the most precise vectors because of parallax error, which results in decreased service and impacts safety. Lighting in the area of the flat scopes impairs the controller's ability to scan flight progress strips. This is because too much light will reflect off of the flat scope's display and effect the presentation. Many controllers complain about being uncomfortable, citing neck and back aches from constantly leaning over the flat scope, straining to monitor traffic. Detroit metropolitan airport has a brand new control tower and radar facility, but instead of installing vertical scopes for these position, they chose to move the old flat scopes, from the old facility to the new facility. These safety concerns, combined with the projected increase in traffic, warrant an improved work environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLAINT FROM CTLR CONCERNING THE USE OF FLAT TOP RADAR SCOPES AT FACILITY RATHER THAN VERTS.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO BRING ATTN TO A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXIST AT DETROIT METRO TRACON FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. THAT IS THE CONTINUED USE OF 'FLAT SCOPES' AS OPPOSED TO 'VERT SCOPES' AT THE ARR FEEDER AND JET DEP POS. OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS, 3 OPERRORS (LOSS OF APPROVED RADAR SEPARATION) HAVE OCCURRED BY CTLRS USING THESE OUTDATED PIECES OF EQUIP. WHEN THE USE OF THESE SCOPES BEGAN, IN RADAR ROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE TFC WAS BUT A FRACTION OF WHAT IT IS TODAY. DURING NORMAL TFC SITS, THE NOISE AROUND THESE 'FLAT SCOPES' IS CAUSING MANY REPEAT XMISSIONS AND INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF MISSED READBACKS. WHEN TRAINING IS IN PROGRESS THE NOISE IS ONLY INCREASED AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DIRECTLY AROUND THE SCOPE, CAN AT TIMES, MAKE THE SIT ALMOST UNBEARABLE. WHEN VECTORING FROM THE SIDE OF A FLAT SCOPE, WHICH IS REQUIRED, THE CTLR CANNOT PROVIDE THE MOST PRECISE VECTORS BECAUSE OF PARALLAX ERROR, WHICH RESULTS IN DECREASED SVC AND IMPACTS SAFETY. LIGHTING IN THE AREA OF THE FLAT SCOPES IMPAIRS THE CTLR'S ABILITY TO SCAN FLT PROGRESS STRIPS. THIS IS BECAUSE TOO MUCH LIGHT WILL REFLECT OFF OF THE FLAT SCOPE'S DISPLAY AND EFFECT THE PRESENTATION. MANY CTLRS COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING UNCOMFORTABLE, CITING NECK AND BACK ACHES FROM CONSTANTLY LEANING OVER THE FLAT SCOPE, STRAINING TO MONITOR TFC. DETROIT METRO ARPT HAS A BRAND NEW CTL TWR AND RADAR FACILITY, BUT INSTEAD OF INSTALLING VERT SCOPES FOR THESE POS, THEY CHOSE TO MOVE THE OLD FLAT SCOPES, FROM THE OLD FACILITY TO THE NEW FACILITY. THESE SAFETY CONCERNS, COMBINED WITH THE PROJECTED INCREASE IN TFC, WARRANT AN IMPROVED WORK ENVIRONMENT.

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.