TRACON facility experienced several ARTS scatter malfunctions. Automation specialists indicated that...

Attributes
ACN	336218
Time
Date	199605
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 11 flight time total : 125
ASRS Report	336218
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:

Unplanned ARTS scatters (warm start recovery) several times in the days indicated above. Discussions with ARTS personnel really didn't provide adequate answers. They indicated that perhaps since etg was on (not being used), the ARTS system was malfunctioning. The ARTS system has performed well in the past under these circumstances. Losing all data associated with a tracked target in the WX mentioned herein is a bad situation for all concerned, especially since mci uses no flight progress strips for inbound IFR aircraft. The above situation has taken place 3 times in the last 2 days. The answer from ARTS personnel doesn't answer the question, 'why?'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON FACILITY EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ARTS SCATTER MALFUNCTIONS. AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS INDICATED THAT ETG FUNCTION WHICH WAS ACTIVATED MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SCATTERS, BUT WERE UNSURE.

Narrative: UNPLANNED ARTS SCATTERS (WARM START RECOVERY) SEVERAL TIMES IN THE DAYS INDICATED ABOVE. DISCUSSIONS WITH ARTS PERSONNEL REALLY DIDN'T PROVIDE ADEQUATE ANSWERS. THEY INDICATED THAT PERHAPS SINCE ETG WAS ON (NOT BEING USED), THE ARTS SYS WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE ARTS SYS HAS PERFORMED WELL IN THE PAST UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. LOSING ALL DATA ASSOCIATED WITH A TRACKED TARGET IN THE WX MENTIONED HEREIN IS A BAD SIT FOR ALL CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY SINCE MCI USES NO FLT PROGRESS STRIPS FOR INBOUND IFR ACFT. THE ABOVE SIT HAS TAKEN PLACE 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 DAYS. THE ANSWER FROM ARTS PERSONNEL DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION, 'WHY?'

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.

TRACON facility experienced several ARTS scatter malfunctions. Automation specialists indicated that etg function which was activated may have contributed to the scatters, but were unsure.