Narrative:

At XX42 air carrier X crashed just west of the approach end of runway 18R. As a result, the commercial power to the receiver site was lost. 1 hour later the backup engine generator from the receiver site quit operating. All ATC services were in jeopardy. It was determined that only ATC transmitters were working at this time. Control of aircraft currently in the charlotte terminal airspace was available only through the transponder identify feature. The emergency backup radios did not work correctly, they were intermittent for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours after the initial receiver failure. The charlotte arrival rate was reduced to 13 per hour. The control tower's radios also failed. The city of charlotte provided 3 handheld tunable radios with 3-5 mi transmit range. The control tower used these radios until the emergency backup radios started working (about 1 1/2 hours). The receiver site generators were repaired allowing return of primary receivers. The determination by the technicians was the fuel pump on the engine generator failed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the gonset backup equipment functioned but was limited in range. Facility tried to coordination transfer of approach control airspace to the center. TRACON agreed to work with the identify feature. 3 remote transmitter/receiver frequency were piped into the TRACON for use. Tower gonset xceivers failed and the tower was using light gun signals to control traffic until the city brought 3 handheld xceivers to the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB GENERATOR FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF RECEIVERS.

Narrative: AT XX42 ACR X CRASHED JUST W OF THE APCH END OF RWY 18R. AS A RESULT, THE COMMERCIAL PWR TO THE RECEIVER SITE WAS LOST. 1 HR LATER THE BACKUP ENG GENERATOR FROM THE RECEIVER SITE QUIT OPERATING. ALL ATC SVCS WERE IN JEOPARDY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONLY ATC XMITTERS WERE WORKING AT THIS TIME. CTL OF ACFT CURRENTLY IN THE CHARLOTTE TERMINAL AIRSPACE WAS AVAILABLE ONLY THROUGH THE XPONDER IDENT FEATURE. THE EMER BACKUP RADIOS DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY, THEY WERE INTERMITTENT FOR APPROX 1 TO 1 1/2 HRS AFTER THE INITIAL RECEIVER FAILURE. THE CHARLOTTE ARR RATE WAS REDUCED TO 13 PER HR. THE CTL TWR'S RADIOS ALSO FAILED. THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE PROVIDED 3 HANDHELD TUNABLE RADIOS WITH 3-5 MI XMIT RANGE. THE CTL TWR USED THESE RADIOS UNTIL THE EMER BACKUP RADIOS STARTED WORKING (ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS). THE RECEIVER SITE GENERATORS WERE REPAIRED ALLOWING RETURN OF PRIMARY RECEIVERS. THE DETERMINATION BY THE TECHNICIANS WAS THE FUEL PUMP ON THE ENG GENERATOR FAILED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE GONSET BACKUP EQUIP FUNCTIONED BUT WAS LIMITED IN RANGE. FACILITY TRIED TO COORD TRANSFER OF APCH CTL AIRSPACE TO THE CTR. TRACON AGREED TO WORK WITH THE IDENT FEATURE. 3 REMOTE XMITTER/RECEIVER FREQ WERE PIPED INTO THE TRACON FOR USE. TWR GONSET XCEIVERS FAILED AND THE TWR WAS USING LIGHT GUN SIGNALS TO CTL TFC UNTIL THE CITY BROUGHT 3 HANDHELD XCEIVERS TO THE TWR.

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.