Narrative:

During the night prior to may/xx/96, a storm caused a power outage. The battery back-ups for icss equipment and emergency lighting were depleted before the tower was scheduled to open at XA00. The tower remained closed until partial power was restored at XH20 because controllers were unable to communicate with other facilities (center or approach) and only had marginally useful emergency transceivers for aircraft communications. The lawton ATCT icss equipment has minimal (less than 2 hours) battery back-up. During an extended power outage, lawton ATCT loses the primary and secondary receivers and transmitters and all interphone capability when the icss batteries are depleted. (The radios have over 2 days of battery back-up but cannot be used without the icss.) when the icss batteries are depleted, lawton ATCT is reduced to one commercial phone line, one UHF emergency transceiver and one VHF emergency transceiver. Both transceivers have limited battery and range. The lack of power prevents safe or adequate service during an extended commercial power outage. Solution: 1) install a power generator for critical equipment. 2) connect critical equipment to the generator that is currently being used exclusively for the fire alarm system. 3) modify battery back-up to insure 24 or more hours of service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a ucr was filed through the bargaining unit safety officer because of the outage and lack of back-up generator power. Since this incident, the af sector has started a project to rewire the tower equipment through the generator that pwrs the fire alarm system. This project is to be completed by jul/xx/96. The reporter claims that there are at least fifty other level 1 and 2 towers in the NAS system who do not have engine generators, and have only the same battery back-up that will last only 2 hours.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONTENDS THAT THE TWR BACK-UP BATTERY PWR SYS IS INADEQUATE TO MAINTAIN EQUIP FOR MORE THAN 2 HRS BECAUSE OF THE ICSS. RPTR STATES THAT WITHOUT ICSS THE RADIO EQUIP SHOULD BE SATISFACTORY FOR 2 DAYS, BUT THE SYS IS POWERED THROUGH THE ICSS CAUSING THE EXCESSIVE PWR DRAIN.

Narrative: DURING THE NIGHT PRIOR TO MAY/XX/96, A STORM CAUSED A PWR OUTAGE. THE BATTERY BACK-UPS FOR ICSS EQUIP AND EMER LIGHTING WERE DEPLETED BEFORE THE TWR WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN AT XA00. THE TWR REMAINED CLOSED UNTIL PARTIAL PWR WAS RESTORED AT XH20 BECAUSE CTLRS WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER FACILITIES (CTR OR APCH) AND ONLY HAD MARGINALLY USEFUL EMER TRANSCEIVERS FOR ACFT COMS. THE LAWTON ATCT ICSS EQUIP HAS MINIMAL (LESS THAN 2 HRS) BATTERY BACK-UP. DURING AN EXTENDED PWR OUTAGE, LAWTON ATCT LOSES THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RECEIVERS AND XMITTERS AND ALL INTERPHONE CAPABILITY WHEN THE ICSS BATTERIES ARE DEPLETED. (THE RADIOS HAVE OVER 2 DAYS OF BATTERY BACK-UP BUT CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT THE ICSS.) WHEN THE ICSS BATTERIES ARE DEPLETED, LAWTON ATCT IS REDUCED TO ONE COMMERCIAL PHONE LINE, ONE UHF EMER TRANSCEIVER AND ONE VHF EMER TRANSCEIVER. BOTH TRANSCEIVERS HAVE LIMITED BATTERY AND RANGE. THE LACK OF PWR PREVENTS SAFE OR ADEQUATE SVC DURING AN EXTENDED COMMERCIAL PWR OUTAGE. SOLUTION: 1) INSTALL A PWR GENERATOR FOR CRITICAL EQUIP. 2) CONNECT CRITICAL EQUIP TO THE GENERATOR THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE FIRE ALARM SYS. 3) MODIFY BATTERY BACK-UP TO INSURE 24 OR MORE HRS OF SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A UCR WAS FILED THROUGH THE BARGAINING UNIT SAFETY OFFICER BECAUSE OF THE OUTAGE AND LACK OF BACK-UP GENERATOR PWR. SINCE THIS INCIDENT, THE AF SECTOR HAS STARTED A PROJECT TO REWIRE THE TWR EQUIP THROUGH THE GENERATOR THAT PWRS THE FIRE ALARM SYS. THIS PROJECT IS TO BE COMPLETED BY JUL/XX/96. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST FIFTY OTHER LEVEL 1 AND 2 TWRS IN THE NAS SYS WHO DO NOT HAVE ENG GENERATORS, AND HAVE ONLY THE SAME BATTERY BACK-UP THAT WILL LAST ONLY 2 HRS.

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.