Narrative:

While working radar at sarasota position at tampa TRACON, I could not take the handoff from fmy, so aircraft was manually handed off southeast of sarasota, level at 4000 ft MSL. While I was trying to modify the track to my symbol, the target went into coast (CST) and would not modify. I informed the pilot that radar contact was lost, and verified he was still at 4000 ft, which he was. I then called the floor supervisor over and quickly explained what happened. In the meantime, I told the pilot to join V35 and report murdo intersection to provide non-radar separation. The track of the aircraft X continued frozen on my scope about 4 mi inside my airspace. I checked the scope adjacent to me, and observed the track frozen about 3 mi outside my airspace, I called fort myers approach on the landline to verify the aircraft was clear of their airspace, which they said it was. I then looked at the scope adjacent to me on the other side, and the beacon code of X showed northeast of sarasota, instead of southeast like the other 2 scopes. The pilot then reported murdo intersection, I told him he was still not in radar contact. He said he could cancel his IFR flight plan and proceed VFR, which he did. I put him on a VFR code and he automatic-acquired normally and descended to land at sarasota (srq). Just before the pilot reported murdo, the tampa and sarasota radars went into scatter (dropping all alpha-numerics from tagged targets). Luckily the alpha-numerics re-acquired on their own. I was told by the floor supervisor that this had happened before, and was caused by this anomaly (disparity of the tampa-sarasota radar system). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated there are 2 ASR-8 radar system used. One is digitized the other is broadbaned. Target correlation between the 2 system and the ARTS was the reason for the incident. Supervisor said the problem would be looked into. Reporter said no other incidents of this nature have been reported. Facility is due for ASR-9 radar system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR ASR-8 TARGET CORRELATION.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING RADAR AT SARASOTA POS AT TAMPA TRACON, I COULD NOT TAKE THE HDOF FROM FMY, SO ACFT WAS MANUALLY HANDED OFF SE OF SARASOTA, LEVEL AT 4000 FT MSL. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO MODIFY THE TRACK TO MY SYMBOL, THE TARGET WENT INTO COAST (CST) AND WOULD NOT MODIFY. I INFORMED THE PLT THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST, AND VERIFIED HE WAS STILL AT 4000 FT, WHICH HE WAS. I THEN CALLED THE FLOOR SUPVR OVER AND QUICKLY EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. IN THE MEANTIME, I TOLD THE PLT TO JOIN V35 AND RPT MURDO INTXN TO PROVIDE NON-RADAR SEPARATION. THE TRACK OF THE ACFT X CONTINUED FROZEN ON MY SCOPE ABOUT 4 MI INSIDE MY AIRSPACE. I CHKED THE SCOPE ADJACENT TO ME, AND OBSERVED THE TRACK FROZEN ABOUT 3 MI OUTSIDE MY AIRSPACE, I CALLED FORT MYERS APCH ON THE LANDLINE TO VERIFY THE ACFT WAS CLR OF THEIR AIRSPACE, WHICH THEY SAID IT WAS. I THEN LOOKED AT THE SCOPE ADJACENT TO ME ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND THE BEACON CODE OF X SHOWED NE OF SARASOTA, INSTEAD OF SE LIKE THE OTHER 2 SCOPES. THE PLT THEN RPTED MURDO INTXN, I TOLD HIM HE WAS STILL NOT IN RADAR CONTACT. HE SAID HE COULD CANCEL HIS IFR FLT PLAN AND PROCEED VFR, WHICH HE DID. I PUT HIM ON A VFR CODE AND HE AUTO-ACQUIRED NORMALLY AND DSNDED TO LAND AT SARASOTA (SRQ). JUST BEFORE THE PLT RPTED MURDO, THE TAMPA AND SARASOTA RADARS WENT INTO SCATTER (DROPPING ALL ALPHA-NUMERICS FROM TAGGED TARGETS). LUCKILY THE ALPHA-NUMERICS RE-ACQUIRED ON THEIR OWN. I WAS TOLD BY THE FLOOR SUPVR THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE, AND WAS CAUSED BY THIS ANOMALY (DISPARITY OF THE TAMPA-SARASOTA RADAR SYS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THERE ARE 2 ASR-8 RADAR SYS USED. ONE IS DIGITIZED THE OTHER IS BROADBANED. TARGET CORRELATION BTWN THE 2 SYS AND THE ARTS WAS THE REASON FOR THE INCIDENT. SUPVR SAID THE PROB WOULD BE LOOKED INTO. RPTR SAID NO OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE HAVE BEEN RPTED. FACILITY IS DUE FOR ASR-9 RADAR SYS.

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.