Narrative:

At detroit metropolitan the electronic technicians are not on a 24 hour schedule. The radar technicians leave at XD00 am and the navigation/communication technicians leave at about XA00 pm. Due to this lack of technician coverage, scheduled radar repairs are done during times of the day when traffic would dictate that all of our system be up and working normally, but are not, because of the scheduled repairs. This problem also has safety considerations, because controllers are required to work traffic with a lot less than our best equipment and the user is affected, because of delays caused by the increased separation required when using this short term emergency equipment. On one occasion the whole arrival end of the TRACON was shut down because the icss computer overheated and caused the loss of all 4 arrival frequencys. There was no technician on duty to make the repairs. It took 2 hours to bring someone in to start making the repairs. Since moving to our new TRACON on aug/xx/92, there have been 60 documented problems associated with our ASR-9 radar system, including at least 17 failures of the ASR-9 system. Much of our equipment has proven to be unreliable, at best. Requiring that electronic technician services be provided 24 hours a day would help with this, and other, safety considerations and avoid any unnecessary delays to the users by allowing the technicians to perform their scheduled maintenance at the slower traffic times after midnight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPT STATES THAT AIR TFC FACILITY DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE MAINT TECHNICIAN STAFFING ON THE MID SHIFTS.

Narrative: AT DETROIT METRO THE ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS ARE NOT ON A 24 HR SCHEDULE. THE RADAR TECHNICIANS LEAVE AT XD00 AM AND THE NAV/COM TECHNICIANS LEAVE AT ABOUT XA00 PM. DUE TO THIS LACK OF TECHNICIAN COVERAGE, SCHEDULED RADAR REPAIRS ARE DONE DURING TIMES OF THE DAY WHEN TFC WOULD DICTATE THAT ALL OF OUR SYS BE UP AND WORKING NORMALLY, BUT ARE NOT, BECAUSE OF THE SCHEDULED REPAIRS. THIS PROB ALSO HAS SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, BECAUSE CTLRS ARE REQUIRED TO WORK TFC WITH A LOT LESS THAN OUR BEST EQUIP AND THE USER IS AFFECTED, BECAUSE OF DELAYS CAUSED BY THE INCREASED SEPARATION REQUIRED WHEN USING THIS SHORT TERM EMER EQUIP. ON ONE OCCASION THE WHOLE ARR END OF THE TRACON WAS SHUT DOWN BECAUSE THE ICSS COMPUTER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE LOSS OF ALL 4 ARR FREQS. THERE WAS NO TECHNICIAN ON DUTY TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. IT TOOK 2 HRS TO BRING SOMEONE IN TO START MAKING THE REPAIRS. SINCE MOVING TO OUR NEW TRACON ON AUG/XX/92, THERE HAVE BEEN 60 DOCUMENTED PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR ASR-9 RADAR SYS, INCLUDING AT LEAST 17 FAILURES OF THE ASR-9 SYS. MUCH OF OUR EQUIP HAS PROVEN TO BE UNRELIABLE, AT BEST. REQUIRING THAT ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN SVCS BE PROVIDED 24 HRS A DAY WOULD HELP WITH THIS, AND OTHER, SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS AND AVOID ANY UNNECESSARY DELAYS TO THE USERS BY ALLOWING THE TECHNICIANS TO PERFORM THEIR SCHEDULED MAINT AT THE SLOWER TFC TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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.