Narrative:

We lost commercial power to the entire building that the tower is located in. The back-up emergency generator did not start. We lost everything in the tower. We were working a tracab situation with radar in the tower. We quickly went to a non-radar environment but it was near impossible because the back-up battery power for our frequencys also failed. Out of 10 frequencys that approach and tower works we only had 4 completely and the rest were either transmitter only or receiver only. Our backup emergency gonset could only be selected to tower or radar, when we attempted to get emergency gonsets out of the TRACON, they would not work in the tower because they had to be disconnected from the antenna to be brought upstairs. Other backup radios were brought to the tower but did not work because of the lack of power. The fdio back-up did work but only lasted for 3-5 mins then it failed again. It took over 30 mins to restore generator power. During this time 2 aircraft were delayed, one because it was on a frequency that we could not transmit on and the other because a vehicle was working on the runway and we could not call him on UHF frequency. Also 127.4, a rco frequency at hib would not work under generator power, even though our airport facilities technicians say it not connected, it started working again at XX45 pm when power came back on. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the backup generator did not start because the battery to start the generator was dead. It took maintenance 30 mins to find a battery. Reporter said maintenance does not check batteries to see they are fully charged and ready to operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMERCIAL PWR FAILURE CAUSED LOSS OF ATC COM.

Narrative: WE LOST COMMERCIAL PWR TO THE ENTIRE BUILDING THAT THE TWR IS LOCATED IN. THE BACK-UP EMER GENERATOR DID NOT START. WE LOST EVERYTHING IN THE TWR. WE WERE WORKING A TRACAB SIT WITH RADAR IN THE TWR. WE QUICKLY WENT TO A NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENT BUT IT WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THE BACK-UP BATTERY PWR FOR OUR FREQS ALSO FAILED. OUT OF 10 FREQS THAT APCH AND TWR WORKS WE ONLY HAD 4 COMPLETELY AND THE REST WERE EITHER XMITTER ONLY OR RECEIVER ONLY. OUR BACKUP EMER GONSET COULD ONLY BE SELECTED TO TWR OR RADAR, WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO GET EMER GONSETS OUT OF THE TRACON, THEY WOULD NOT WORK IN THE TWR BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE ANTENNA TO BE BROUGHT UPSTAIRS. OTHER BACKUP RADIOS WERE BROUGHT TO THE TWR BUT DID NOT WORK BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF PWR. THE FDIO BACK-UP DID WORK BUT ONLY LASTED FOR 3-5 MINS THEN IT FAILED AGAIN. IT TOOK OVER 30 MINS TO RESTORE GENERATOR PWR. DURING THIS TIME 2 ACFT WERE DELAYED, ONE BECAUSE IT WAS ON A FREQ THAT WE COULD NOT XMIT ON AND THE OTHER BECAUSE A VEHICLE WAS WORKING ON THE RWY AND WE COULD NOT CALL HIM ON UHF FREQ. ALSO 127.4, A RCO FREQ AT HIB WOULD NOT WORK UNDER GENERATOR PWR, EVEN THOUGH OUR ARPT FACILITIES TECHNICIANS SAY IT NOT CONNECTED, IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN AT XX45 PM WHEN PWR CAME BACK ON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE BACKUP GENERATOR DID NOT START BECAUSE THE BATTERY TO START THE GENERATOR WAS DEAD. IT TOOK MAINT 30 MINS TO FIND A BATTERY. RPTR SAID MAINT DOES NOT CHK BATTERIES TO SEE THEY ARE FULLY CHARGED AND READY TO OP.

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.