<< >> NASA ASRS Report 235639, March 1993

ATC radar equipment problem ARTS IIIA.

Attributes
ACN	235639
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl
State Reference	MO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	235639
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Once again we at stl are encountering problems with the ARTS 3.05 program. As you recall, last week I filed a report stating the problems we had, the program was pulled and we went back to ARTS 3.04. Today we were using ARTS 3.05 again. It seemed to work fine for several hours this morning and then all of a sudden it started acting up. Conflict alerts were going off on numerous aircraft where there was no potential conflict. There was an unplanned ARTS scatter, this was followed by a warm start. There was another unplanned scatter followed by a cold start. We returned to ARTS 3.04. My concern is we seem to be checking these new programs under live traffic conditions, and the traffic is heavy at times. I don't believe this is in the best interest of safety of the system. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated data system specialists corrected the second scatter problem within several hours and the new program has been working correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RADAR EQUIP PROB ARTS IIIA.

Narrative: ONCE AGAIN WE AT STL ARE ENCOUNTERING PROBS WITH THE ARTS 3.05 PROGRAM. AS YOU RECALL, LAST WK I FILED A RPT STATING THE PROBS WE HAD, THE PROGRAM WAS PULLED AND WE WENT BACK TO ARTS 3.04. TODAY WE WERE USING ARTS 3.05 AGAIN. IT SEEMED TO WORK FINE FOR SEVERAL HRS THIS MORNING AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED ACTING UP. CONFLICT ALERTS WERE GOING OFF ON NUMEROUS ACFT WHERE THERE WAS NO POTENTIAL CONFLICT. THERE WAS AN UNPLANNED ARTS SCATTER, THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A WARM START. THERE WAS ANOTHER UNPLANNED SCATTER FOLLOWED BY A COLD START. WE RETURNED TO ARTS 3.04. MY CONCERN IS WE SEEM TO BE CHKING THESE NEW PROGRAMS UNDER LIVE TFC CONDITIONS, AND THE TFC IS HVY AT TIMES. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY OF THE SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED DATA SYS SPECIALISTS CORRECTED THE SECOND SCATTER PROB WITHIN SEVERAL HRS AND THE NEW PROGRAM HAS BEEN WORKING CORRECTLY.

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.