ATC reporter alleges that his facility's tdwr equipment is unreliable and has failed on numerous occ...

Narrative:

The tdwr at mci continually fails. Especially when WX is in the area. This particular day, severe WX was in the area and the tdwr went down. It was learned later, due to the damage the storm caused, that microbursts were present in this system. We had no way to tell pilots or adjacent facilities of the potential this storm system had. Apparently the motors that control both azimuth and elevation of the tdwr had failed. These motors have had to be replaced twice during the last yr. According to maintenance, the tdwr system is already plagued by telephone line problems. With the additional problems these inferior motors present, the system might as well be removed from service and replaced with the older, more reliable LLWAS system. The bottom line is this: what good does a piece of expensive equipment do for the flying public if the controllers can't rely on it for timely information. It's like installing new radios in the facility only to have them fail nearly every time we key the microphone. Somebody sold the FAA a bill of goods on the tdwr. When it works, it works well -- it just doesn't work that often -- especially when WX it was designed to scrutinize is in the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RPTR ALLEGES THAT HIS FACILITY'S TDWR EQUIP IS UNRELIABLE AND HAS FAILED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT THE LACK OF TDWR INFO COULD COMPROMISE SAFETY.

Narrative: THE TDWR AT MCI CONTINUALLY FAILS. ESPECIALLY WHEN WX IS IN THE AREA. THIS PARTICULAR DAY, SEVERE WX WAS IN THE AREA AND THE TDWR WENT DOWN. IT WAS LEARNED LATER, DUE TO THE DAMAGE THE STORM CAUSED, THAT MICROBURSTS WERE PRESENT IN THIS SYS. WE HAD NO WAY TO TELL PLTS OR ADJACENT FACILITIES OF THE POTENTIAL THIS STORM SYS HAD. APPARENTLY THE MOTORS THAT CTL BOTH AZIMUTH AND ELEVATION OF THE TDWR HAD FAILED. THESE MOTORS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE DURING THE LAST YR. ACCORDING TO MAINT, THE TDWR SYS IS ALREADY PLAGUED BY TELEPHONE LINE PROBS. WITH THE ADDITIONAL PROBS THESE INFERIOR MOTORS PRESENT, THE SYS MIGHT AS WELL BE REMOVED FROM SVC AND REPLACED WITH THE OLDER, MORE RELIABLE LLWAS SYS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: WHAT GOOD DOES A PIECE OF EXPENSIVE EQUIP DO FOR THE FLYING PUBLIC IF THE CTLRS CAN'T RELY ON IT FOR TIMELY INFO. IT'S LIKE INSTALLING NEW RADIOS IN THE FACILITY ONLY TO HAVE THEM FAIL NEARLY EVERY TIME WE KEY THE MIKE. SOMEBODY SOLD THE FAA A BILL OF GOODS ON THE TDWR. WHEN IT WORKS, IT WORKS WELL -- IT JUST DOESN'T WORK THAT OFTEN -- ESPECIALLY WHEN WX IT WAS DESIGNED TO SCRUTINIZE IS IN THE AREA.

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.

Attributes
ACN	343958
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
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	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 11 flight time total : 125
ASRS Report	343958
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

ATC reporter alleges that his facility's tdwr equipment is unreliable and has failed on numerous occasions. Reporter is concerned that the lack of tdwr information could compromise safety.