Scheduled radar ARTS shutdown for maintenance during heavy traffic.

Attributes
ACN	265656
Time
Date	199402
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gsp
State Reference	SC
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 23
ASRS Report	265656
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
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

We have an unsafe situation at greer approach/ATCT, potentially dangerous. FAA maintenance policies require technicians to work only administrative hours, week days. This results in our ARTS being taken out for an hour or 2, during our busy mornings. For the past month, we have had this happen weekly, and some unsafe event occurring, as a result of a portion of our radar being shut down. Different events have occurred each week. A ucr has been filed. This needs to be changed as soon as possible. Radar ARTS shutdowns only done during night hours. This facility is closed 11:45 pm - 6:30 am daily. Our airport is expanding, has new airlines, plans to lengthen the runway next month. We get busy and do not need equipment shutdown when we need it. This will contribute to a near miss, system error, deviation, or worse.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SCHEDULED RADAR ARTS SHUTDOWN FOR MAINT DURING HVY TFC.

Narrative: WE HAVE AN UNSAFE SIT AT GREER APCH/ATCT, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. FAA MAINT POLICIES REQUIRE TECHNICIANS TO WORK ONLY ADMINISTRATIVE HRS, WK DAYS. THIS RESULTS IN OUR ARTS BEING TAKEN OUT FOR AN HR OR 2, DURING OUR BUSY MORNINGS. FOR THE PAST MONTH, WE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN WKLY, AND SOME UNSAFE EVENT OCCURRING, AS A RESULT OF A PORTION OF OUR RADAR BEING SHUT DOWN. DIFFERENT EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED EACH WK. A UCR HAS BEEN FILED. THIS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED ASAP. RADAR ARTS SHUTDOWNS ONLY DONE DURING NIGHT HRS. THIS FACILITY IS CLOSED 11:45 PM - 6:30 AM DAILY. OUR ARPT IS EXPANDING, HAS NEW AIRLINES, PLANS TO LENGTHEN THE RWY NEXT MONTH. WE GET BUSY AND DO NOT NEED EQUIP SHUTDOWN WHEN WE NEED IT. THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A NEAR MISS, SYS ERROR, DEV, OR WORSE.

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.