ATC equipment problem loss of radios and VOR due to construction power cable cut.

Attributes
ACN	275613
Time
Date	199406
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rdu
State Reference	NC
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 10 controller radar : 12
ASRS Report	275613
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

A cable cut on the airfield caused the rdu VOR and the radar approach control radios to go OTS. The cut occurred in a clearly marked 'no cut' area in the vicinity of road construction. When the cable was cut, the backup generator came on and on line, but as a result of recent maintenance, a wrong thermostat was put on the generator, causing it to overheat. The VOR then started to waver, with the generator then shutting down and the VOR and the radios going off line. Another generator that feeds the receiver site did not come on line. The tower had radios during the entire event. Its radios are fed by a different power cable that was not cut. There were no operational errors or deviations during this event. This is being passed on to assist in collection of data as my pertain to power cable cuts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB LOSS OF RADIOS AND VOR DUE TO CONSTRUCTION PWR CABLE CUT.

Narrative: A CABLE CUT ON THE AIRFIELD CAUSED THE RDU VOR AND THE RADAR APCH CTL RADIOS TO GO OTS. THE CUT OCCURRED IN A CLRLY MARKED 'NO CUT' AREA IN THE VICINITY OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION. WHEN THE CABLE WAS CUT, THE BACKUP GENERATOR CAME ON AND ON LINE, BUT AS A RESULT OF RECENT MAINT, A WRONG THERMOSTAT WAS PUT ON THE GENERATOR, CAUSING IT TO OVERHEAT. THE VOR THEN STARTED TO WAVER, WITH THE GENERATOR THEN SHUTTING DOWN AND THE VOR AND THE RADIOS GOING OFF LINE. ANOTHER GENERATOR THAT FEEDS THE RECEIVER SITE DID NOT COME ON LINE. THE TWR HAD RADIOS DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT. ITS RADIOS ARE FED BY A DIFFERENT PWR CABLE THAT WAS NOT CUT. THERE WERE NO OPERATIONAL ERRORS OR DEVS DURING THIS EVENT. THIS IS BEING PASSED ON TO ASSIST IN COLLECTION OF DATA AS MY PERTAIN TO PWR CABLE CUTS.

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.