ATC reporter states that the facility experienced an extended power outage that caused numerous equi...

Attributes
ACN	337092
Time
Date	199605
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : law
State Reference	OK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	controller non radar : 19 flight time total : 6000
ASRS Report	337092
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Both airways facilities technicians assigned to lawton ATCT were on leave. The tower suffered an extended power outage (more than 12 hours). The back-up technician who was brought in to restore equipment to service was not well-trained on much of the equipment. He was unable to restore the ATIS, made no attempt to restore the VASI and had difficulties with the fdio. Procedures for calling in back-up technicians should provide for someone who is familiar with the particular equipment that is OTS. Additionally, it is poor practice to have both technicians unavailable due to scheduled leave. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the technician who went on leave was having elective surgery, and it could have been performed after the other technician returned from his annual leave that had been scheduled well in advance. The back-up technician that came to restore the equipment was not qualified to restore some of the outages.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RPTR STATES THAT THE FACILITY EXPERIENCED AN EXTENDED PWR OUTAGE THAT CAUSED NUMEROUS EQUIP PROBS. ARPT FACILITY SUPPORT TO RESTORE THE EQUIP WAS LESS THAN SATISFACTORY, BECAUSE A BACK-UP TECHNICIAN WAS CALLED IN TO REPLACE THE REGULAR TECHNICIANS WHO WERE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO ANNUAL AND SICK LEAVE.

Narrative: BOTH AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS ASSIGNED TO LAWTON ATCT WERE ON LEAVE. THE TWR SUFFERED AN EXTENDED PWR OUTAGE (MORE THAN 12 HRS). THE BACK-UP TECHNICIAN WHO WAS BROUGHT IN TO RESTORE EQUIP TO SVC WAS NOT WELL-TRAINED ON MUCH OF THE EQUIP. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE THE ATIS, MADE NO ATTEMPT TO RESTORE THE VASI AND HAD DIFFICULTIES WITH THE FDIO. PROCS FOR CALLING IN BACK-UP TECHNICIANS SHOULD PROVIDE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PARTICULAR EQUIP THAT IS OTS. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS POOR PRACTICE TO HAVE BOTH TECHNICIANS UNAVAILABLE DUE TO SCHEDULED LEAVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE TECHNICIAN WHO WENT ON LEAVE WAS HAVING ELECTIVE SURGERY, AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED AFTER THE OTHER TECHNICIAN RETURNED FROM HIS ANNUAL LEAVE THAT HAD BEEN SCHEDULED WELL IN ADVANCE. THE BACK-UP TECHNICIAN THAT CAME TO RESTORE THE EQUIP WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO RESTORE SOME OF THE OUTAGES.

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.