Narrative:

Despite many requests to perform scheduled maintenance during the hours of 10 pm to 6 am, FAA maintenance disabled the longview radar. Longview has a TRSA that is active from 6 am to 10 pm. 2 satellite airports lie beneath the final approach course of the ILS and VOR runway 13 approachs. Controllers are unable to provide any traffic/safety advisories and flight following. Unsatisfactory condition reports have been filed through FAA channels and have gone unanswered. FAA maintenance personnel have mentioned that, if complaints continued, they would take the radar for extended periods and 'just do without.' longview radar is used by no ATC or other facility during the hours of 10 pm to 6 am. This is when scheduled maintenance should occur. Supplemental information from acn 253329: in the past, maintenance personnel employed by the FAA airways/facilities division have requested and been given access to the GGG tracab radar and ARTS equipment by FAA management on the spot with no notice to controllers. Problems have arisen where the radar, serving GGG airspace, has been released to maintenance personnel for periodic maintenance during marginal WX with minimal staffing. Maintenance personnel have become so used to shutting down equipment that during one busy session while the tower position was working with the digital BRITE display, using it to sequence aircraft to the runways, a maintenance technician performed daily checks to the digital BRITE display, rendering it unusable to the controller, with no prior coordination. The problem as I see it is maintenance personnel will not perform routine maintenance while the equipment is not in use, i.e., while the tower/radar is closed. If periodic maintenance is required on our radar that takes 2 to 3 hours, that maintenance should be performed while the radar is non-operational, not while it is being used to verify the safety of the flying public.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RADAR SHUTDOWN FOR MAINT DURING TWR TRACON OP.

Narrative: DESPITE MANY REQUESTS TO PERFORM SCHEDULED MAINT DURING THE HRS OF 10 PM TO 6 AM, FAA MAINT DISABLED THE LONGVIEW RADAR. LONGVIEW HAS A TRSA THAT IS ACTIVE FROM 6 AM TO 10 PM. 2 SATELLITE ARPTS LIE BENEATH THE FINAL APCH COURSE OF THE ILS AND VOR RWY 13 APCHS. CTLRS ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY TFC/SAFETY ADVISORIES AND FLT FOLLOWING. UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION RPTS HAVE BEEN FILED THROUGH FAA CHANNELS AND HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. FAA MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE MENTIONED THAT, IF COMPLAINTS CONTINUED, THEY WOULD TAKE THE RADAR FOR EXTENDED PERIODS AND 'JUST DO WITHOUT.' LONGVIEW RADAR IS USED BY NO ATC OR OTHER FACILITY DURING THE HRS OF 10 PM TO 6 AM. THIS IS WHEN SCHEDULED MAINT SHOULD OCCUR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 253329: IN THE PAST, MAINT PERSONNEL EMPLOYED BY THE FAA AIRWAYS/FACILITIES DIVISION HAVE REQUESTED AND BEEN GIVEN ACCESS TO THE GGG TRACAB RADAR AND ARTS EQUIP BY FAA MGMNT ON THE SPOT WITH NO NOTICE TO CTLRS. PROBS HAVE ARISEN WHERE THE RADAR, SERVING GGG AIRSPACE, HAS BEEN RELEASED TO MAINT PERSONNEL FOR PERIODIC MAINT DURING MARGINAL WX WITH MINIMAL STAFFING. MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE BECOME SO USED TO SHUTTING DOWN EQUIP THAT DURING ONE BUSY SESSION WHILE THE TWR POS WAS WORKING WITH THE DIGITAL BRITE DISPLAY, USING IT TO SEQUENCE ACFT TO THE RWYS, A MAINT TECHNICIAN PERFORMED DAILY CHKS TO THE DIGITAL BRITE DISPLAY, RENDERING IT UNUSABLE TO THE CTLR, WITH NO PRIOR COORD. THE PROB AS I SEE IT IS MAINT PERSONNEL WILL NOT PERFORM ROUTINE MAINT WHILE THE EQUIP IS NOT IN USE, I.E., WHILE THE TWR/RADAR IS CLOSED. IF PERIODIC MAINT IS REQUIRED ON OUR RADAR THAT TAKES 2 TO 3 HRS, THAT MAINT SHOULD BE PERFORMED WHILE THE RADAR IS NON-OPERATIONAL, NOT WHILE IT IS BEING USED TO VERIFY THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC.

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.