ATC equipment problem communication icss failed 6 times in 4 months.

Attributes
ACN	277970
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fmh
State Reference	MA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	277970
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

This is the 6TH time in 4 months that we have lost all our frequencys. 4 times the frequencys were lost while we were closed between XA00 pm-XB00 am. The other 2 times were during live traffic. Once was light to mdt traffic the other was moderate to heavy traffic. The 2 frequencys on our gonsets are inadequate backups for our 8 frequencys our approach control works. The airways facilities manager for the facility apparently does not consider it a priority to fix this problem since it has gone on for so long. Someone has got to spend sometime to analyze and fix this problem. Also having tunable gonsets would allow us to tune in any of our 8 frequencys that we monitor rather than just 2. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: facility air traffic manager was contacted. He stated the region division manager had filed a ucr on the icss system after the 6TH failure. Airways facility had a technician from aos in oklahoma investigate the problem at the facility. System was found to be operating over capacity and that was the reason for the failures. Problem was corrected. Tunable gonsets are on order for back up transmitter and receivers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB COM ICSS FAILED 6 TIMES IN 4 MONTHS.

Narrative: THIS IS THE 6TH TIME IN 4 MONTHS THAT WE HAVE LOST ALL OUR FREQS. 4 TIMES THE FREQS WERE LOST WHILE WE WERE CLOSED BTWN XA00 PM-XB00 AM. THE OTHER 2 TIMES WERE DURING LIVE TFC. ONCE WAS LIGHT TO MDT TFC THE OTHER WAS MODERATE TO HVY TFC. THE 2 FREQS ON OUR GONSETS ARE INADEQUATE BACKUPS FOR OUR 8 FREQS OUR APCH CTL WORKS. THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES MGR FOR THE FACILITY APPARENTLY DOES NOT CONSIDER IT A PRIORITY TO FIX THIS PROB SINCE IT HAS GONE ON FOR SO LONG. SOMEONE HAS GOT TO SPEND SOMETIME TO ANALYZE AND FIX THIS PROB. ALSO HAVING TUNABLE GONSETS WOULD ALLOW US TO TUNE IN ANY OF OUR 8 FREQS THAT WE MONITOR RATHER THAN JUST 2. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FACILITY AIR TFC MGR WAS CONTACTED. HE STATED THE REGION DIVISION MGR HAD FILED A UCR ON THE ICSS SYS AFTER THE 6TH FAILURE. AIRWAYS FACILITY HAD A TECHNICIAN FROM AOS IN OKLAHOMA INVESTIGATE THE PROB AT THE FACILITY. SYS WAS FOUND TO BE OPERATING OVER CAPACITY AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURES. PROB WAS CORRECTED. TUNABLE GONSETS ARE ON ORDER FOR BACK UP XMITTER AND RECEIVERS.

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.