Pvc pipe used for flight progress strip interfacility coordination between tower and TRACON plugged.

Attributes
ACN	274150
Time
Date	199406
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tys
State Reference	TN
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tys
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	274150
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Flight plan strips are sent from the tower to the TRACON via a pvc pipe. These pipes clog at times and usually every 2 yrs fail and need to be replaced. When the tube at the west radar position failed last yr, it took 6 weeks to repair. Now the tube at east radar has failed. This causes an increased workload on the controller working west as he/she has to determine which sector the aircraft is going into and if it is going into east's airspace he must deliver the strip by hand. On jun/wed/94 during severe (level 5) WX, we were very busy and this led to a safety issue because I (west controller) had to divert my attention from my scope to deliver east's flight plans. There seems to be very little effort to correct the problem in a timely manner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the pvc pipes between the tower and TRACON have been fixed. Analyst suggested to reporter replace pvc pipe with steel pipe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVC PIPE USED FOR FLT PROGRESS STRIP INTERFAC COORD BTWN TWR AND TRACON PLUGGED.

Narrative: FLT PLAN STRIPS ARE SENT FROM THE TWR TO THE TRACON VIA A PVC PIPE. THESE PIPES CLOG AT TIMES AND USUALLY EVERY 2 YRS FAIL AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE TUBE AT THE W RADAR POS FAILED LAST YR, IT TOOK 6 WKS TO REPAIR. NOW THE TUBE AT E RADAR HAS FAILED. THIS CAUSES AN INCREASED WORKLOAD ON THE CTLR WORKING W AS HE/SHE HAS TO DETERMINE WHICH SECTOR THE ACFT IS GOING INTO AND IF IT IS GOING INTO E'S AIRSPACE HE MUST DELIVER THE STRIP BY HAND. ON JUN/WED/94 DURING SEVERE (LEVEL 5) WX, WE WERE VERY BUSY AND THIS LED TO A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I (W CTLR) HAD TO DIVERT MY ATTN FROM MY SCOPE TO DELIVER E'S FLT PLANS. THERE SEEMS TO BE VERY LITTLE EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROB IN A TIMELY MANNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PVC PIPES BTWN THE TWR AND TRACON HAVE BEEN FIXED. ANALYST SUGGESTED TO RPTR REPLACE PVC PIPE WITH STEEL PIPE.

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.