Narrative:

When I arrived at work for my shift, dulles was in a cenrap operation. This means our radar was out to maintenance and the center radar and center separation was being used. The presentation was unacceptable. All a/north's were flickering, and the last 2 characters of the 'H' function were missing. (Example: a C130 would reflect 'C1' in the scratch pad. The airspeed was also affected. An airspeed of 230 KTS would show '2' in the scratch pad. This lack of information made aircraft type and airspeed unusable.) (while working south arrival sector, I had 2 targets totally disappear north of brvvor. Air carrier X at 10000 ft and aircraft Y at 800 ft.) I lost all a/north's, virgiles and splats (*) on these aircraft. (Center radar does not show 'skin hits' on aircraft. It only generates a target based on the transponder code.) another aircraft at 6000 ft routed csn direct mrb and was handed off to west arrival. The airplane totally disappeared from my scope as well as west arrs. Later, while working departure scopes, I watched the operation. I observed 2 aircraft on final to runways 19R/left disappear off scope. (1 - aircraft about 4 mi north of aml, 2 - BE35 over rinks OM.) additionally I had received a pointout on a hef practice approach (a cessna of some type) and the next time I looked, the aircraft disappeared totally. With the volume of traffic, and the intrails that we had, this was an unsafe operation, to say the least. The area supervisor remarked to me, 'this is the worst cenrap presentation I've ever seen.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTL USING CTR RADAR HAD POOR QUALITY.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK FOR MY SHIFT, DULLES WAS IN A CENRAP OP. THIS MEANS OUR RADAR WAS OUT TO MAINT AND THE CTR RADAR AND CTR SEPARATION WAS BEING USED. THE PRESENTATION WAS UNACCEPTABLE. ALL A/N'S WERE FLICKERING, AND THE LAST 2 CHARACTERS OF THE 'H' FUNCTION WERE MISSING. (EXAMPLE: A C130 WOULD REFLECT 'C1' IN THE SCRATCH PAD. THE AIRSPD WAS ALSO AFFECTED. AN AIRSPD OF 230 KTS WOULD SHOW '2' IN THE SCRATCH PAD. THIS LACK OF INFO MADE ACFT TYPE AND AIRSPD UNUSABLE.) (WHILE WORKING S ARR SECTOR, I HAD 2 TARGETS TOTALLY DISAPPEAR N OF BRVVOR. ACR X AT 10000 FT AND ACFT Y AT 800 FT.) I LOST ALL A/N'S, VIRGILES AND SPLATS (*) ON THESE ACFT. (CTR RADAR DOES NOT SHOW 'SKIN HITS' ON ACFT. IT ONLY GENERATES A TARGET BASED ON THE XPONDER CODE.) ANOTHER ACFT AT 6000 FT ROUTED CSN DIRECT MRB AND WAS HANDED OFF TO W ARR. THE AIRPLANE TOTALLY DISAPPEARED FROM MY SCOPE AS WELL AS W ARRS. LATER, WHILE WORKING DEP SCOPES, I WATCHED THE OP. I OBSERVED 2 ACFT ON FINAL TO RWYS 19R/L DISAPPEAR OFF SCOPE. (1 - ACFT ABOUT 4 MI N OF AML, 2 - BE35 OVER RINKS OM.) ADDITIONALLY I HAD RECEIVED A POINTOUT ON A HEF PRACTICE APCH (A CESSNA OF SOME TYPE) AND THE NEXT TIME I LOOKED, THE ACFT DISAPPEARED TOTALLY. WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC, AND THE INTRAILS THAT WE HAD, THIS WAS AN UNSAFE OP, TO SAY THE LEAST. THE AREA SUPVR REMARKED TO ME, 'THIS IS THE WORST CENRAP PRESENTATION I'VE EVER SEEN.'

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.