Radar beacon change causes ASR-9 radar failure. Controller reporter thinks ASR-9 radar system unsafe...

Attributes
ACN	271468
Time
Date	199405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : chs
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 8 controller radar : 19 controller supervisory : 1
ASRS Report	271468
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

The technician on duty called the area manager at the charlotte ATCT to ask for a beacon channel change. When the channel was changed the system failed. Due to no beacon the radar at charlotte was then being used utilizing cenrap. This increases the workload on controllers and is not reliable for the approach function. The altitudes lack behind so the required spacing goes from 3 mi to 5 mi. Due to this outage the flow spacing for inbounds to charlotte went from 7 mi to 10 mi for the jets and the propellers were spaced 15 mi apart instead of 7. The technician was at the site when this failure occurred. It is now more than 3 hours since the failure and there has been no estimate on how long the beacon system will be out. Once again it shows that the ASR-9 radar system here at charlotte is becoming a very real safety issue. There needs to be a review of the past problems with the charlotte ASR-9 and the problems need to be corrected as soon as possible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR BEACON CHANGE CAUSES ASR-9 RADAR FAILURE. CTLR RPTR THINKS ASR-9 RADAR SYS UNSAFE.

Narrative: THE TECHNICIAN ON DUTY CALLED THE AREA MGR AT THE CHARLOTTE ATCT TO ASK FOR A BEACON CHANNEL CHANGE. WHEN THE CHANNEL WAS CHANGED THE SYS FAILED. DUE TO NO BEACON THE RADAR AT CHARLOTTE WAS THEN BEING USED UTILIZING CENRAP. THIS INCREASES THE WORKLOAD ON CTLRS AND IS NOT RELIABLE FOR THE APCH FUNCTION. THE ALTS LACK BEHIND SO THE REQUIRED SPACING GOES FROM 3 MI TO 5 MI. DUE TO THIS OUTAGE THE FLOW SPACING FOR INBOUNDS TO CHARLOTTE WENT FROM 7 MI TO 10 MI FOR THE JETS AND THE PROPS WERE SPACED 15 MI APART INSTEAD OF 7. THE TECHNICIAN WAS AT THE SITE WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED. IT IS NOW MORE THAN 3 HRS SINCE THE FAILURE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO ESTIMATE ON HOW LONG THE BEACON SYS WILL BE OUT. ONCE AGAIN IT SHOWS THAT THE ASR-9 RADAR SYS HERE AT CHARLOTTE IS BECOMING A VERY REAL SAFETY ISSUE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A REVIEW OF THE PAST PROBS WITH THE CHARLOTTE ASR-9 AND THE PROBS NEED TO BE CORRECTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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.