Controller claims that certain types of small aircraft's will drop track at low altitudes eastbound.

Attributes
ACN	253269
Time
Date	199310
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : drw airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	departure other enroute airway : dfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 17
ASRS Report	253269
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

There is a continuing problem with loss of ARTS tracking with eastbound traffic flying at 4000 ft 7000 ft departing dfw or dal. The small aircraft type aircraft are especially affected by this. During the morning departure rush this is especially hazardous because the ARTS tracks stop and other tracks cover them up, making trying to find the primary target almost impossible. This situation is always brought up to supervisory personnel. They relay this to maintenance and there it dies, only to have to deal with it the next morning. I firmly believe this will cause loss of separation or worse a midair collision, because these aircraft are all at the same altitude with varying speeds. This problem will not be fixed unless someone with more influence than a controller complains! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that the radar system was recently changed to an ASR-9 and the previous no radar problem has been fixed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF SMA'S WILL DROP TRACK AT LOW ALTS EBOUND.

Narrative: THERE IS A CONTINUING PROB WITH LOSS OF ARTS TRACKING WITH EBOUND TFC FLYING AT 4000 FT 7000 FT DEPARTING DFW OR DAL. THE SMA TYPE ACFT ARE ESPECIALLY AFFECTED BY THIS. DURING THE MORNING DEP RUSH THIS IS ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE THE ARTS TRACKS STOP AND OTHER TRACKS COVER THEM UP, MAKING TRYING TO FIND THE PRIMARY TARGET ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THIS SIT IS ALWAYS BROUGHT UP TO SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL. THEY RELAY THIS TO MAINT AND THERE IT DIES, ONLY TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT THE NEXT MORNING. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS WILL CAUSE LOSS OF SEPARATION OR WORSE A MIDAIR COLLISION, BECAUSE THESE ACFT ARE ALL AT THE SAME ALT WITH VARYING SPDS. THIS PROB WILL NOT BE FIXED UNLESS SOMEONE WITH MORE INFLUENCE THAN A CTLR COMPLAINS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT THE RADAR SYS WAS RECENTLY CHANGED TO AN ASR-9 AND THE PREVIOUS NO RADAR PROB HAS BEEN FIXED.

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.