Narrative:

There is no provision within the ARTS III computer program to delineate between VFR and IFR status of aircraft on the computer generated flight plan of TCASII equipped aircraft. On this evening a VFR TCASII equipped small aircraft was provided stage ii service through the cle class B airspace. The ARTS ii data tag could not be modified to reflect the VFR status of the aircraft. The ARTS III data tag delineated an IFR flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a call to another facility with ARTS III equipment indicates that a patch is available that will show if a TCASII equipped aircraft is VFR or IFR. Apparently, cle TRACON does not have this patch or has not been given authorization to use it. This information was forwarded to cle TRACON.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT THE ARTS III SYS WILL NOT ALLOW A DATA BLOCK TO SHOW IF A TCASII EQUIPPED ACFT IS VFR.

Narrative: THERE IS NO PROVISION WITHIN THE ARTS III COMPUTER PROGRAM TO DELINEATE BTWN VFR AND IFR STATUS OF ACFT ON THE COMPUTER GENERATED FLT PLAN OF TCASII EQUIPPED ACFT. ON THIS EVENING A VFR TCASII EQUIPPED SMA WAS PROVIDED STAGE II SVC THROUGH THE CLE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE ARTS II DATA TAG COULD NOT BE MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE VFR STATUS OF THE ACFT. THE ARTS III DATA TAG DELINEATED AN IFR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A CALL TO ANOTHER FACILITY WITH ARTS III EQUIP INDICATES THAT A PATCH IS AVAILABLE THAT WILL SHOW IF A TCASII EQUIPPED ACFT IS VFR OR IFR. APPARENTLY, CLE TRACON DOES NOT HAVE THIS PATCH OR HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION TO USE IT. THIS INFO WAS FORWARDED TO CLE TRACON.

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.