Power failure mia tower TRACON.

Attributes
ACN	329893
Time
Date	199603
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mia
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 2 controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	329893
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 14
ASRS Report	329895
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At XX26 uct, mia tower had a complete power failure which forced controllers to operate battery powered radios for several mins. We had 9 operational radar position and only 6 radios in usable position. 2 of the radios are located over the flight data position where there are no radar scopes and should be relocated. The radios are equipped with loud speakers and hand mikes and have no way of connecting to a headset. With 8 different loud speakers going along with the other confusion taking place it made it impossible to have effective 2 way communications with aircraft. I believe that all radar position should be equipped with battery powered radios and a device should be designed that allows the controller to plug in the headset to the radio to cut down on the confusion. During the outage there were not enough flashlights or note pads for controllers to properly perform their duties.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PWR FAILURE MIA TWR TRACON.

Narrative: AT XX26 UCT, MIA TWR HAD A COMPLETE PWR FAILURE WHICH FORCED CTLRS TO OPERATE BATTERY POWERED RADIOS FOR SEVERAL MINS. WE HAD 9 OPERATIONAL RADAR POS AND ONLY 6 RADIOS IN USABLE POS. 2 OF THE RADIOS ARE LOCATED OVER THE FLT DATA POS WHERE THERE ARE NO RADAR SCOPES AND SHOULD BE RELOCATED. THE RADIOS ARE EQUIPPED WITH LOUD SPEAKERS AND HAND MIKES AND HAVE NO WAY OF CONNECTING TO A HEADSET. WITH 8 DIFFERENT LOUD SPEAKERS GOING ALONG WITH THE OTHER CONFUSION TAKING PLACE IT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE EFFECTIVE 2 WAY COMS WITH ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT ALL RADAR POS SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH BATTERY POWERED RADIOS AND A DEVICE SHOULD BE DESIGNED THAT ALLOWS THE CTLR TO PLUG IN THE HEADSET TO THE RADIO TO CUT DOWN ON THE CONFUSION. DURING THE OUTAGE THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH FLASHLIGHTS OR NOTE PADS FOR CTLRS TO PROPERLY PERFORM THEIR DUTIES.

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.