ATC WX reporting equipment terminal doppler WX radar failed.

Attributes
ACN	327091
Time
Date	199601
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 13
ASRS Report	327091
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

The ATC tdwr failed 1/sat/96 at approximately XX00 am. The tdwr is the primary windshear detection equipment for the airport. The failure was due to a breakdown of the newly reengineered service motors. Raytheon has just recently started installing the new motors due to the high failure rate of the old motors. Obviously, the new motors are not any better. Last night a very strong line of thunderstorms came through, and today there have been numerous reports of windshear on the airport! The system has already been down for 4 days. We are still awaiting parts. This is unacceptable, especially when you consider the safety and political implications of this system. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the tdwr was commissioned in late nov. Due to servo motors the tdwr was down for 1 week. Facility was LLWAS 2 for windshear alert backup. Servo motors have to be ordered from company and facility maintenance cannot work on equipment which contributes to down time. Ucr filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC WX RPTING EQUIP TERMINAL DOPPLER WX RADAR FAILED.

Narrative: THE ATC TDWR FAILED 1/SAT/96 AT APPROX XX00 AM. THE TDWR IS THE PRIMARY WINDSHEAR DETECTION EQUIP FOR THE ARPT. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A BREAKDOWN OF THE NEWLY REENGINEERED SVC MOTORS. RAYTHEON HAS JUST RECENTLY STARTED INSTALLING THE NEW MOTORS DUE TO THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE OLD MOTORS. OBVIOUSLY, THE NEW MOTORS ARE NOT ANY BETTER. LAST NIGHT A VERY STRONG LINE OF TSTMS CAME THROUGH, AND TODAY THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS RPTS OF WINDSHEAR ON THE ARPT! THE SYS HAS ALREADY BEEN DOWN FOR 4 DAYS. WE ARE STILL AWAITING PARTS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE SAFETY AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE TDWR WAS COMMISSIONED IN LATE NOV. DUE TO SERVO MOTORS THE TDWR WAS DOWN FOR 1 WK. FACILITY WAS LLWAS 2 FOR WINDSHEAR ALERT BACKUP. SERVO MOTORS HAVE TO BE ORDERED FROM COMPANY AND FACILITY MAINT CANNOT WORK ON EQUIP WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO DOWN TIME. UCR 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.