Narrative:

The radar site at maiden, nc (qrm ARSR), has been taken out an inordinate number of times in recent months. This presents a myriad of problems for ZTL. Qrm was scheduled to be taken OTS on jul/thu-fri/96. Both times the outage was canceled -- I assume due to the volume of traffic. Qrm was taken OTS on jul/sat, first at XA30, then again from XH00-XZ00. Both outages were poorly coordinated. During qrm outages sector 48 at ZTL becomes non radar at 8000 ft and below. Among the problem noticed surrounding approach controls were unaware of outage. Tracons have no knowledge of non radar procedures and therefore can't provide non radar routings. Non radar training has ceased in the terminal environment. NOTAMS are not issued. Many pilots depart expecting an IFR pickup clearance. Explaining the outage and trying to accommodate the pilots clutters up the frequency and distracts the controller in a very demanding situation. Please check your records, the above were all contributing factors in an near midair collision report I filed with NASA that occurred during a previous radar outage. In closing, purely by chance, I met a radar technician that was familiar with the situation. He stated that the technicians at qrm were poorly trained and the site is constantly out of specifications. From my observations, I believe he is correct. By the way, qrm is the cenrap site for clt. It is unbelievable to me that they aren't informed of scheduled outages. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that of 2 recent radar outages, there was coordination with the approach facilities for the latest outage but that no NOTAMS were sent. Reporter alleges that in a discussion with the area manager, the area manager said that NOTAMS on a radar outage would be issued. Reporter stated that he was unaware of any discussion between the center and the approach facilities regarding non radar routing by these facilities when the center radar was OTS. Reporter seemed very adamant about his feeling toward training for approach controllers by alleging that they are not trained in non radar procedures whether handling traffic going from the approach control radar environment to non radar center environment or in the non radar environment of the approach facility with radar outage. Reporter cited 1 example of a facility which had a radar outage and would not handle any center traffic until it returned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATED CTR RADAR OUTAGE WAS UNCOORDINATED WITH APCH FACILITIES AND THAT NO NOTAMS WERE ISSUED.

Narrative: THE RADAR SITE AT MAIDEN, NC (QRM ARSR), HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF TIMES IN RECENT MONTHS. THIS PRESENTS A MYRIAD OF PROBS FOR ZTL. QRM WAS SCHEDULED TO BE TAKEN OTS ON JUL/THU-FRI/96. BOTH TIMES THE OUTAGE WAS CANCELED -- I ASSUME DUE TO THE VOLUME OF TFC. QRM WAS TAKEN OTS ON JUL/SAT, FIRST AT XA30, THEN AGAIN FROM XH00-XZ00. BOTH OUTAGES WERE POORLY COORDINATED. DURING QRM OUTAGES SECTOR 48 AT ZTL BECOMES NON RADAR AT 8000 FT AND BELOW. AMONG THE PROB NOTICED SURROUNDING APCH CTLS WERE UNAWARE OF OUTAGE. TRACONS HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF NON RADAR PROCS AND THEREFORE CAN'T PROVIDE NON RADAR ROUTINGS. NON RADAR TRAINING HAS CEASED IN THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT. NOTAMS ARE NOT ISSUED. MANY PLTS DEPART EXPECTING AN IFR PICKUP CLRNC. EXPLAINING THE OUTAGE AND TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THE PLTS CLUTTERS UP THE FREQ AND DISTRACTS THE CTLR IN A VERY DEMANDING SIT. PLEASE CHK YOUR RECORDS, THE ABOVE WERE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN AN NMAC RPT I FILED WITH NASA THAT OCCURRED DURING A PREVIOUS RADAR OUTAGE. IN CLOSING, PURELY BY CHANCE, I MET A RADAR TECHNICIAN THAT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE SIT. HE STATED THAT THE TECHNICIANS AT QRM WERE POORLY TRAINED AND THE SITE IS CONSTANTLY OUT OF SPECS. FROM MY OBSERVATIONS, I BELIEVE HE IS CORRECT. BY THE WAY, QRM IS THE CENRAP SITE FOR CLT. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE TO ME THAT THEY AREN'T INFORMED OF SCHEDULED OUTAGES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT OF 2 RECENT RADAR OUTAGES, THERE WAS COORD WITH THE APCH FACILITIES FOR THE LATEST OUTAGE BUT THAT NO NOTAMS WERE SENT. RPTR ALLEGES THAT IN A DISCUSSION WITH THE AREA MGR, THE AREA MGR SAID THAT NOTAMS ON A RADAR OUTAGE WOULD BE ISSUED. RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY DISCUSSION BTWN THE CTR AND THE APCH FACILITIES REGARDING NON RADAR ROUTING BY THESE FACILITIES WHEN THE CTR RADAR WAS OTS. RPTR SEEMED VERY ADAMANT ABOUT HIS FEELING TOWARD TRAINING FOR APCH CTLRS BY ALLEGING THAT THEY ARE NOT TRAINED IN NON RADAR PROCS WHETHER HANDLING TFC GOING FROM THE APCH CTL RADAR ENVIRONMENT TO NON RADAR CTR ENVIRONMENT OR IN THE NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT OF THE APCH FACILITY WITH RADAR OUTAGE. RPTR CITED 1 EXAMPLE OF A FACILITY WHICH HAD A RADAR OUTAGE AND WOULD NOT HANDLE ANY CTR TFC UNTIL IT RETURNED.

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.