ATC equipment problem radar loss of radar contact with small aircraft on airway.

Attributes
ACN	309834
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lhy
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zbw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 12
ASRS Report	309834
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This is a specific example of an ongoing problem. Small aircraft X C172/U at 7000 ft MSL navigating V93 east of lhy. Upon acceptance of handoff from ZNY, X becomes non radar due to poor coverage. Traffic is seen above 7900 ft and below 5000 ft. Route of flight takes aircraft through areas of heavy glider activity and 2 activity heavy use parachute zones. Additionally, the route crosses 2 ewr inbound tracks where ewr jets need to descend to 7000 ft and ewr propellers and teb jets need to descend to 6000 ft. During the time X was non radar with ZBW, N90 was receiving a radar return showing aircraft level at 7000 ft. Question: how much other traffic are we missing? Possible solution: have N90's ASR-9 digitized information from the swf radar site sent to ZBW's computer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated loss of radar contact does not happen all the time. Problem is with small aircraft GA aircraft. Ucr has been filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT WITH SMA ON AIRWAY.

Narrative: THIS IS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF AN ONGOING PROB. SMA X C172/U AT 7000 FT MSL NAVING V93 E OF LHY. UPON ACCEPTANCE OF HDOF FROM ZNY, X BECOMES NON RADAR DUE TO POOR COVERAGE. TFC IS SEEN ABOVE 7900 FT AND BELOW 5000 FT. RTE OF FLT TAKES ACFT THROUGH AREAS OF HVY GLIDER ACTIVITY AND 2 ACTIVITY HVY USE PARACHUTE ZONES. ADDITIONALLY, THE RTE CROSSES 2 EWR INBOUND TRACKS WHERE EWR JETS NEED TO DSND TO 7000 FT AND EWR PROPS AND TEB JETS NEED TO DSND TO 6000 FT. DURING THE TIME X WAS NON RADAR WITH ZBW, N90 WAS RECEIVING A RADAR RETURN SHOWING ACFT LEVEL AT 7000 FT. QUESTION: HOW MUCH OTHER TFC ARE WE MISSING? POSSIBLE SOLUTION: HAVE N90'S ASR-9 DIGITIZED INFO FROM THE SWF RADAR SITE SENT TO ZBW'S COMPUTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. PROB IS WITH SMA GA ACFT. UCR HAS BEEN FILED.

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.