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Reporter stated sector was mostly non radar due a radar site being OTS. Sector was complex as aircraft expected radar service including aircraft departing VFR expecting IFR clrncs. Sector was controled by reporter without assistance. No NOTAM issued by the facility for the radar outage. Facility had a 3 min power failure affecting lights at position during course of radar outage.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 338393 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ztl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 15 flight time total : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 338393 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Wilkes sector (ZTL 48) has mostly non radar due to the maiden radar site being OTS. The sector became unnecessarily complex due to aircraft expecting radar service. Many aircraft departing VFR expecting an IFR clearance. I was running the sector by myself. Again, that's the norm. No allowance made for staffing for non radar. Approach controls are unfamiliar with non radar and don't issue workable routings. Pilots, taking advantage of GPS, file direct, making the situation worse. I inquired of management why we didn't issue a NOTAM so that the VFR departures would stop, non radar rtes would be filed, etc. I was informed that the FAA did not like to advertise a radar outage. Unbelievable! That was the main problem. During this outage we suffered a power failure. The batteries took over and it took the generators about 3 mins to come on line. During that 3 mins the lights were out! My (blank) radar screen had power, but I couldn't see the strips while I was non radar!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR STATED SECTOR WAS MOSTLY NON RADAR DUE A RADAR SITE BEING OTS. SECTOR WAS COMPLEX AS ACFT EXPECTED RADAR SVC INCLUDING ACFT DEPARTING VFR EXPECTING IFR CLRNCS. SECTOR WAS CTLED BY RPTR WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. NO NOTAM ISSUED BY THE FACILITY FOR THE RADAR OUTAGE. FACILITY HAD A 3 MIN PWR FAILURE AFFECTING LIGHTS AT POS DURING COURSE OF RADAR OUTAGE.
Narrative: WILKES SECTOR (ZTL 48) HAS MOSTLY NON RADAR DUE TO THE MAIDEN RADAR SITE BEING OTS. THE SECTOR BECAME UNNECESSARILY COMPLEX DUE TO ACFT EXPECTING RADAR SVC. MANY ACFT DEPARTING VFR EXPECTING AN IFR CLRNC. I WAS RUNNING THE SECTOR BY MYSELF. AGAIN, THAT'S THE NORM. NO ALLOWANCE MADE FOR STAFFING FOR NON RADAR. APCH CTLS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH NON RADAR AND DON'T ISSUE WORKABLE ROUTINGS. PLTS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GPS, FILE DIRECT, MAKING THE SIT WORSE. I INQUIRED OF MGMNT WHY WE DIDN'T ISSUE A NOTAM SO THAT THE VFR DEPS WOULD STOP, NON RADAR RTES WOULD BE FILED, ETC. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAA DID NOT LIKE TO ADVERTISE A RADAR OUTAGE. UNBELIEVABLE! THAT WAS THE MAIN PROB. DURING THIS OUTAGE WE SUFFERED A PWR FAILURE. THE BATTERIES TOOK OVER AND IT TOOK THE GENERATORS ABOUT 3 MINS TO COME ON LINE. DURING THAT 3 MINS THE LIGHTS WERE OUT! MY (BLANK) RADAR SCREEN HAD PWR, BUT I COULDN'T SEE THE STRIPS WHILE I WAS NON RADAR!
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.