Narrative:

This ASRS report is addressed to the ARTS iia conflict alert feature used in many tracons in the country. This feature is designed to be an aid to controllers in predicting impending conflictions of air traffic. The actual operation of the conflict alert is that it does not activate, in the majority of cases, until the aircraft are in very close proximity or have already passed each other. The latest version (A2.07) became operational last month and the problem still exists. The software program must be immense and I'm sure that it must be a monumental task to debug, however, it must be done to make the conflict alert feature a usable tool for controllers. A ucr report has been submitted to the FAA. The conflict alert is supposed to project aircraft courses and rates of climb and alarm when an imminent conflict is detected. My past experiences with ARTS III and ARTS IIIA proved this to be the case. Unfortunately the ARTS iia system has never functioned as well from the onset to the present day. ARTS iia version A2.07 is currently in use and the conflict alert has, in my estimation, limited use to the controller as an aid in predicting conflicts. It functions more as an imminent collision alert or an 'after the fact alert' (you just had a deal). The aural/visual alarm does not activate until the aircraft are in very close proximity and immediate action is required to prevent a collision, or the aircraft have already passed each other and nothing can be done (except turn yourself in)!! The majority of data concerning conflict alert alarms was received on aircraft utilizing visual separation methods (when the separation is vastly reduced). The conflict alert feature could be a valuable separation tool for the controller if it were to operate as desired. This shortcoming must have surfaced in the testing of ARTS iia before going operational. I assume 'debugging' a program of this size must be a monumental task and this is why I have waited this long to initiate the paperwork. Version A2.07 was just released in aug and there was no change in the operation of the conflict alert feature.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT ARTS II CONFLICT ALERT DOES NOT ALERT UNTIL ACFT ARE TOO CLOSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Narrative: THIS ASRS RPT IS ADDRESSED TO THE ARTS IIA CONFLICT ALERT FEATURE USED IN MANY TRACONS IN THE COUNTRY. THIS FEATURE IS DESIGNED TO BE AN AID TO CTLRS IN PREDICTING IMPENDING CONFLICTIONS OF AIR TFC. THE ACTUAL OP OF THE CONFLICT ALERT IS THAT IT DOES NOT ACTIVATE, IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES, UNTIL THE ACFT ARE IN VERY CLOSE PROX OR HAVE ALREADY PASSED EACH OTHER. THE LATEST VERSION (A2.07) BECAME OPERATIONAL LAST MONTH AND THE PROB STILL EXISTS. THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM MUST BE IMMENSE AND I'M SURE THAT IT MUST BE A MONUMENTAL TASK TO DEBUG, HOWEVER, IT MUST BE DONE TO MAKE THE CONFLICT ALERT FEATURE A USABLE TOOL FOR CTLRS. A UCR RPT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE FAA. THE CONFLICT ALERT IS SUPPOSED TO PROJECT ACFT COURSES AND RATES OF CLB AND ALARM WHEN AN IMMINENT CONFLICT IS DETECTED. MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH ARTS III AND ARTS IIIA PROVED THIS TO BE THE CASE. UNFORTUNATELY THE ARTS IIA SYS HAS NEVER FUNCTIONED AS WELL FROM THE ONSET TO THE PRESENT DAY. ARTS IIA VERSION A2.07 IS CURRENTLY IN USE AND THE CONFLICT ALERT HAS, IN MY ESTIMATION, LIMITED USE TO THE CTLR AS AN AID IN PREDICTING CONFLICTS. IT FUNCTIONS MORE AS AN IMMINENT COLLISION ALERT OR AN 'AFTER THE FACT ALERT' (YOU JUST HAD A DEAL). THE AURAL/VISUAL ALARM DOES NOT ACTIVATE UNTIL THE ACFT ARE IN VERY CLOSE PROX AND IMMEDIATE ACTION IS REQUIRED TO PREVENT A COLLISION, OR THE ACFT HAVE ALREADY PASSED EACH OTHER AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE (EXCEPT TURN YOURSELF IN)!! THE MAJORITY OF DATA CONCERNING CONFLICT ALERT ALARMS WAS RECEIVED ON ACFT UTILIZING VISUAL SEPARATION METHODS (WHEN THE SEPARATION IS VASTLY REDUCED). THE CONFLICT ALERT FEATURE COULD BE A VALUABLE SEPARATION TOOL FOR THE CTLR IF IT WERE TO OPERATE AS DESIRED. THIS SHORTCOMING MUST HAVE SURFACED IN THE TESTING OF ARTS IIA BEFORE GOING OPERATIONAL. I ASSUME 'DEBUGGING' A PROGRAM OF THIS SIZE MUST BE A MONUMENTAL TASK AND THIS IS WHY I HAVE WAITED THIS LONG TO INITIATE THE PAPERWORK. VERSION A2.07 WAS JUST RELEASED IN AUG AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE OP OF THE CONFLICT ALERT FEATURE.

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.