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ATC equipment problem radar shutdown for maintenance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 279407 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199407 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cid |
| State Reference | IA |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : den |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 279407 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
On a too frequency basis, maintenance personnel are allowed to take components of ATC radar OTS during operational hours of a part-time tower. On the first date mentioned the radar was taken down for almost 4 hours for modification. Although backup center radar was available and used. It does not function nearly as well as far as updates and coverage. Also altitude information from this system cannot be used and must be verbally verified increasing risk to safety and controller workload. On the second occasion, the computer was taken OTS for a modification 2 days in a row. For a period of 2 hours at a time. This occurrence also occurs weekly for maintenance checks for a period of 10-30 mins. When this occurs, all that is available is a primary and secondary radar target. There is no altitude, call sign, discrete transponder codes, etc, to aid the controller. Every target on the scope appears the same, even high altitude traffic. Since the backup center radar has become available, radar outages have increased. Not from failure, but from technicians using this as a convenience outlet to avoid overtime, mid shifts, etc. Our facility is closed 8 hours on mid shift. This is ample time in most cases to do what they need to do.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR SHUTDOWN FOR MAINT.
Narrative: ON A TOO FREQ BASIS, MAINT PERSONNEL ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE COMPONENTS OF ATC RADAR OTS DURING OPERATIONAL HRS OF A PART-TIME TWR. ON THE FIRST DATE MENTIONED THE RADAR WAS TAKEN DOWN FOR ALMOST 4 HRS FOR MODIFICATION. ALTHOUGH BACKUP CTR RADAR WAS AVAILABLE AND USED. IT DOES NOT FUNCTION NEARLY AS WELL AS FAR AS UPDATES AND COVERAGE. ALSO ALT INFO FROM THIS SYS CANNOT BE USED AND MUST BE VERBALLY VERIFIED INCREASING RISK TO SAFETY AND CTLR WORKLOAD. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, THE COMPUTER WAS TAKEN OTS FOR A MODIFICATION 2 DAYS IN A ROW. FOR A PERIOD OF 2 HRS AT A TIME. THIS OCCURRENCE ALSO OCCURS WKLY FOR MAINT CHKS FOR A PERIOD OF 10-30 MINS. WHEN THIS OCCURS, ALL THAT IS AVAILABLE IS A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADAR TARGET. THERE IS NO ALT, CALL SIGN, DISCRETE XPONDER CODES, ETC, TO AID THE CTLR. EVERY TARGET ON THE SCOPE APPEARS THE SAME, EVEN HIGH ALT TFC. SINCE THE BACKUP CTR RADAR HAS BECOME AVAILABLE, RADAR OUTAGES HAVE INCREASED. NOT FROM FAILURE, BUT FROM TECHNICIANS USING THIS AS A CONVENIENCE OUTLET TO AVOID OVERTIME, MID SHIFTS, ETC. OUR FACILITY IS CLOSED 8 HRS ON MID SHIFT. THIS IS AMPLE TIME IN MOST CASES TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
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.