Narrative:

I was working at the roc-D position with moderate traffic. The main and standby transmitter and receivers were out due to a phone line problem. We were using the buec system. We were also testing the new vscs equipment. Without warning, a loud noise was heard on the radio receiver. I attempted to switch to another buec site, but it also had the noise. No other system was available. For 1-2 mins we had no communication with any aircraft. Another sector cleared their frequency and sent an aircraft to 127.47 (our main frequency) to retrieve the aircraft on that frequency and switch them to the new one. This took a few mins. The result of all these problems was 3 or 4 aircraft were held by adjacent sectors, 3 or 4 aircraft were held up very high for their inbound airports and a few departures were not given higher for several mins. By blind luck, no aircraft came into confliction. It is still being investigated as to whether or not the new vscs equipment had anything to do with the problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that he learned from the contractor that the new vscs equipment did not cause the noise problem. He stated that the telephone company said that they had had a phone line problem. The reporter said that the problem was only with his sector and indicated that it has not reoccurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAIN AND STANDBY XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS OTS. LOUD NOISE ON THE BUEC SYS. BACKUP BUEC SYS ALSO HAD LOUD NOISE. RPTR SUSPECTED NEW VSCS EQUIP BEING TESTED BY THE FACILITY AS BEING CAUSE OF PROB.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AT THE ROC-D POS WITH MODERATE TFC. THE MAIN AND STANDBY XMITTER AND RECEIVERS WERE OUT DUE TO A PHONE LINE PROB. WE WERE USING THE BUEC SYS. WE WERE ALSO TESTING THE NEW VSCS EQUIP. WITHOUT WARNING, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD ON THE RADIO RECEIVER. I ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER BUEC SITE, BUT IT ALSO HAD THE NOISE. NO OTHER SYS WAS AVAILABLE. FOR 1-2 MINS WE HAD NO COM WITH ANY ACFT. ANOTHER SECTOR CLRED THEIR FREQ AND SENT AN ACFT TO 127.47 (OUR MAIN FREQ) TO RETRIEVE THE ACFT ON THAT FREQ AND SWITCH THEM TO THE NEW ONE. THIS TOOK A FEW MINS. THE RESULT OF ALL THESE PROBS WAS 3 OR 4 ACFT WERE HELD BY ADJACENT SECTORS, 3 OR 4 ACFT WERE HELD UP VERY HIGH FOR THEIR INBOUND ARPTS AND A FEW DEPS WERE NOT GIVEN HIGHER FOR SEVERAL MINS. BY BLIND LUCK, NO ACFT CAME INTO CONFLICTION. IT IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE NEW VSCS EQUIP HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT HE LEARNED FROM THE CONTRACTOR THAT THE NEW VSCS EQUIP DID NOT CAUSE THE NOISE PROB. HE STATED THAT THE TELEPHONE COMPANY SAID THAT THEY HAD HAD A PHONE LINE PROB. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE PROB WAS ONLY WITH HIS SECTOR AND INDICATED THAT IT HAS NOT REOCCURRED.

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.