Situation involved the failure of the telecom processor which rendered other equipment unusable. Unc...

Attributes
ACN	329053
Time
Date	199602
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : non radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	329053
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Just before midnight on feb/sun/96, the oceanic telecoms processor (tp) suffered a major outage. This outage caused the oceanic display and planning system (odaps) to become unusable. The system was not fully restored until XX30 local on feb/tue/96. This outage left controllers with no display of traffic, no automated computer interface and no automatic generation of strips. Two particular notes of interest: 1) an interim solution to the lack of strip generation problem was utilized during the outage. This solution was an uncertified computer program designed solely for simulation, and 2) due to airway facilities resources, site personnel did not begin to rectify problem for approximately 24 hours after shutdown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIT INVOLVED THE FAILURE OF THE TELECOM PROCESSOR WHICH RENDERED OTHER EQUIP UNUSABLE. UNCERTIFIED SOFTWARE PROGRAM USED FOR STRIP GENERATION. EXCESSIVE DELAY BEFORE REPAIR WORK BEGUN.

Narrative: JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON FEB/SUN/96, THE OCEANIC TELECOMS PROCESSOR (TP) SUFFERED A MAJOR OUTAGE. THIS OUTAGE CAUSED THE OCEANIC DISPLAY AND PLANNING SYS (ODAPS) TO BECOME UNUSABLE. THE SYS WAS NOT FULLY RESTORED UNTIL XX30 LCL ON FEB/TUE/96. THIS OUTAGE LEFT CTLRS WITH NO DISPLAY OF TFC, NO AUTOMATED COMPUTER INTERFACE AND NO AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF STRIPS. TWO PARTICULAR NOTES OF INTEREST: 1) AN INTERIM SOLUTION TO THE LACK OF STRIP GENERATION PROB WAS UTILIZED DURING THE OUTAGE. THIS SOLUTION WAS AN UNCERTIFIED COMPUTER PROGRAM DESIGNED SOLELY FOR SIMULATION, AND 2) DUE TO AIRWAY FACILITIES RESOURCES, SITE PERSONNEL DID NOT BEGIN TO RECTIFY PROB FOR APPROX 24 HRS AFTER SHUTDOWN.

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.

Situation involved the failure of the telecom processor which rendered other equipment unusable. Uncertified software program used for strip generation. Excessive delay before repair work begun.