 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
ATC reporter claims that TRACON's ASR-9 process inaccurate and false WX returns indicating that level 1 through level 6 WX is in the area, when it is not. Reporter questions the accuracy and reliability of the system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 340721 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| 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 | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 12 flight time total : 125 |
| ASRS Report | 340721 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
After early morning thunderstorms moved through the area, the ASR-9 radar began to display/indicate that large areas of level 1-6 WX were still present in the approach control airspace. After issuing these areas to departing aircraft and receiving reports from them that the WX was non existent, it became apparent that the ASR-9 was displaying anomalous propagation (ap), or WX that wasn't really there. It is my understanding that ASR-9 radar should not display ap. When this does occur, controller's workload is increased until it can be verified that the WX is not present. ASR-9 circuits that are supposed to eliminate ap need to be reworked -- this is an ongoing problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATC RPTR CLAIMS THAT TRACON'S ASR-9 PROCESS INACCURATE AND FALSE WX RETURNS INDICATING THAT LEVEL 1 THROUGH LEVEL 6 WX IS IN THE AREA, WHEN IT IS NOT. RPTR QUESTIONS THE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF THE SYS.
Narrative: AFTER EARLY MORNING TSTMS MOVED THROUGH THE AREA, THE ASR-9 RADAR BEGAN TO DISPLAY/INDICATE THAT LARGE AREAS OF LEVEL 1-6 WX WERE STILL PRESENT IN THE APCH CTL AIRSPACE. AFTER ISSUING THESE AREAS TO DEPARTING ACFT AND RECEIVING RPTS FROM THEM THAT THE WX WAS NON EXISTENT, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ASR-9 WAS DISPLAYING ANOMALOUS PROPAGATION (AP), OR WX THAT WASN'T REALLY THERE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ASR-9 RADAR SHOULD NOT DISPLAY AP. WHEN THIS DOES OCCUR, CTLR'S WORKLOAD IS INCREASED UNTIL IT CAN BE VERIFIED THAT THE WX IS NOT PRESENT. ASR-9 CIRCUITS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO ELIMINATE AP NEED TO BE REWORKED -- THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB.
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.