Narrative:

Due to lightning in the area elp went to generator power. When switching over to generator power elp had a radar outage, and was forced to use ZAB's radar (cenrap) which does not show WX. In conclusion when we needed our radar to help pilots out by guiding them around intense WX cells, it was OTS. Supplemental information from acn 341321: during the evenings of jul/sat/96 and jul/sun/96, my facility suffered a complete radar outage, apparently as a result of placing the radar site on generator power. It has been the policy of my facility to place the radar site on generator power whenever lightning is observed in the vicinity, for at least 11 yrs. Last wkend, the radar completely failed within mins after the generators were started. The first outage lasted approximately 6 hours, the second, 2 hours. Cenrap was enabled after both outages. From speaking to af technicians, I've learned that the radar site generator was low on oil (an unacceptable condition to me, they are supposed to be checked and test run). However, the outage was caused by two different circuit boards being blown in the radar system. They were replaced, but at the moment, we have no more spares. I have not been able to find out yet what caused the 2 boards to fail. Apparently they have 'burned' ramp chips on them, according to af. 2 weeks ago, a lightning strike outside the facility caused a complete power failure to the facility itself. The 1 billion dollar ups and generator system at the facility failed to work properly. I was not on duty though, at the time. The facility went completely dark, flashlights and gonsets, for an hour or more. To my knowledge as facility representative, there has not yet been a proper fix done for that. I'm not even sure that af has completely traced the problem. The upshot of all of this is the controllers of my facility have no confidence whatsoever in their equipment during a thunderstorm. Any disturbance in commercial power to either the facility or radar site is likely to cause a complete failure. This is ridiculous. We get no WX radar at all while we are on cenrap, so we cannot offer any information on the storms in the area to pilots, other than other pilot reports. I and the facility manager have asked FAA to send a team of experts in power system to elp to completely go over both system and fix any problems found, but have not received an answer yet. I doubt FAA has much expertise left to call on with the gross reductions and retirements of experienced technicians. There is none here.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON APCH CTLRS RPT THAT DUE TO LIGHTNING IN THE AREA THE EQUIP WAS PUT ON STANDBY GENERATOR PWR. WHEN THE CHANGEOVER WAS MADE THE TRACON LOST THEIR RADAR AND HAD TO GO TO NONRADAR PROC AND THEN OVER TO AND USED CENRAP WHICH DOES NOT DISPLAY WX. THE OUTAGE LASTED FOR 6 HRS THE FIRST TIME AND WAS 2 HRS THE SECOND TIME.

Narrative: DUE TO LIGHTNING IN THE AREA ELP WENT TO GENERATOR PWR. WHEN SWITCHING OVER TO GENERATOR PWR ELP HAD A RADAR OUTAGE, AND WAS FORCED TO USE ZAB'S RADAR (CENRAP) WHICH DOES NOT SHOW WX. IN CONCLUSION WHEN WE NEEDED OUR RADAR TO HELP PLTS OUT BY GUIDING THEM AROUND INTENSE WX CELLS, IT WAS OTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 341321: DURING THE EVENINGS OF JUL/SAT/96 AND JUL/SUN/96, MY FACILITY SUFFERED A COMPLETE RADAR OUTAGE, APPARENTLY AS A RESULT OF PLACING THE RADAR SITE ON GENERATOR PWR. IT HAS BEEN THE POLICY OF MY FACILITY TO PLACE THE RADAR SITE ON GENERATOR PWR WHENEVER LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY, FOR AT LEAST 11 YRS. LAST WKEND, THE RADAR COMPLETELY FAILED WITHIN MINS AFTER THE GENERATORS WERE STARTED. THE FIRST OUTAGE LASTED APPROX 6 HRS, THE SECOND, 2 HRS. CENRAP WAS ENABLED AFTER BOTH OUTAGES. FROM SPEAKING TO AF TECHNICIANS, I'VE LEARNED THAT THE RADAR SITE GENERATOR WAS LOW ON OIL (AN UNACCEPTABLE CONDITION TO ME, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CHKED AND TEST RUN). HOWEVER, THE OUTAGE WAS CAUSED BY TWO DIFFERENT CIRCUIT BOARDS BEING BLOWN IN THE RADAR SYS. THEY WERE REPLACED, BUT AT THE MOMENT, WE HAVE NO MORE SPARES. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT YET WHAT CAUSED THE 2 BOARDS TO FAIL. APPARENTLY THEY HAVE 'BURNED' RAMP CHIPS ON THEM, ACCORDING TO AF. 2 WKS AGO, A LIGHTNING STRIKE OUTSIDE THE FACILITY CAUSED A COMPLETE PWR FAILURE TO THE FACILITY ITSELF. THE 1 BILLION DOLLAR UPS AND GENERATOR SYS AT THE FACILITY FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. I WAS NOT ON DUTY THOUGH, AT THE TIME. THE FACILITY WENT COMPLETELY DARK, FLASHLIGHTS AND GONSETS, FOR AN HR OR MORE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE AS FACILITY REPRESENTATIVE, THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN A PROPER FIX DONE FOR THAT. I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT AF HAS COMPLETELY TRACED THE PROB. THE UPSHOT OF ALL OF THIS IS THE CTLRS OF MY FACILITY HAVE NO CONFIDENCE WHATSOEVER IN THEIR EQUIP DURING A TSTM. ANY DISTURBANCE IN COMMERCIAL PWR TO EITHER THE FACILITY OR RADAR SITE IS LIKELY TO CAUSE A COMPLETE FAILURE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. WE GET NO WX RADAR AT ALL WHILE WE ARE ON CENRAP, SO WE CANNOT OFFER ANY INFO ON THE STORMS IN THE AREA TO PLTS, OTHER THAN OTHER PLT RPTS. I AND THE FACILITY MGR HAVE ASKED FAA TO SEND A TEAM OF EXPERTS IN PWR SYS TO ELP TO COMPLETELY GO OVER BOTH SYS AND FIX ANY PROBS FOUND, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN ANSWER YET. I DOUBT FAA HAS MUCH EXPERTISE LEFT TO CALL ON WITH THE GROSS REDUCTIONS AND RETIREMENTS OF EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS. THERE IS NONE HERE.

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.