Narrative:

This is a new FAA facility. The drop tube from the tower to the radar room has failed to work since we moved to this facility. If it is worked on it will work for an hour or 2 but then fail. This is a new, one of a kind, system. Costs are reported above $200,000. Controllers are required to do additional work to make up for this equipment failure. Radar controllers do not have the same flight information we had in our 30 yr old tower. No repairs are in the works for this system. This is unsafe and abuse of funds. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the drop tube has not been in operation for 8 months but is still idented as the means of passing aircraft flight plan information to the departure controller. The reporter indicated the drop tube is more high tech with all of its lights and alarms than the tube used in the old tower for some 30 yrs. The reporter alleges that the problem is with the plastic sleeve, a special strip holder, which is getting snagged in the tube due to wear on the sleeve. Reporter indicated that the manufacturer felt a metal strip holder would work but the reporter stated this would be too time consuming for the local controller to put the strip in the holder each time a departure was worked. Reporter acknowledged that there is an fdio printer available in the TRACON on which the TRACON could receive duplicate departure strips, but indicated that there has been no discussion on using it. The reporter stated that the FD position in the tower modifies the ARTS track file information for the benefit of the departure position to indicate the direction of flight of the departures beyond the fix displayed in the aircraft data block.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT IN WHICH THE FLT PLAN STRIP DROP TUBE BTWN THE TWR AND THE TRACON FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY. RPTR STATED THAT WHEN IT WAS FIXED, IT FAILED AN HR OR 2 LATER.

Narrative: THIS IS A NEW FAA FACILITY. THE DROP TUBE FROM THE TWR TO THE RADAR ROOM HAS FAILED TO WORK SINCE WE MOVED TO THIS FACILITY. IF IT IS WORKED ON IT WILL WORK FOR AN HR OR 2 BUT THEN FAIL. THIS IS A NEW, ONE OF A KIND, SYS. COSTS ARE RPTED ABOVE $200,000. CTLRS ARE REQUIRED TO DO ADDITIONAL WORK TO MAKE UP FOR THIS EQUIP FAILURE. RADAR CTLRS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FLT INFO WE HAD IN OUR 30 YR OLD TWR. NO REPAIRS ARE IN THE WORKS FOR THIS SYS. THIS IS UNSAFE AND ABUSE OF FUNDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE DROP TUBE HAS NOT BEEN IN OP FOR 8 MONTHS BUT IS STILL IDENTED AS THE MEANS OF PASSING ACFT FLT PLAN INFO TO THE DEP CTLR. THE RPTR INDICATED THE DROP TUBE IS MORE HIGH TECH WITH ALL OF ITS LIGHTS AND ALARMS THAN THE TUBE USED IN THE OLD TWR FOR SOME 30 YRS. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE PROB IS WITH THE PLASTIC SLEEVE, A SPECIAL STRIP HOLDER, WHICH IS GETTING SNAGGED IN THE TUBE DUE TO WEAR ON THE SLEEVE. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER FELT A METAL STRIP HOLDER WOULD WORK BUT THE RPTR STATED THIS WOULD BE TOO TIME CONSUMING FOR THE LCL CTLR TO PUT THE STRIP IN THE HOLDER EACH TIME A DEP WAS WORKED. RPTR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS AN FDIO PRINTER AVAILABLE IN THE TRACON ON WHICH THE TRACON COULD RECEIVE DUPLICATE DEP STRIPS, BUT INDICATED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO DISCUSSION ON USING IT. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FD POS IN THE TWR MODIFIES THE ARTS TRACK FILE INFO FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE DEP POS TO INDICATE THE DIRECTION OF FLT OF THE DEPS BEYOND THE FIX DISPLAYED IN THE ACFT DATA BLOCK.

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.