Reported situation of channel 'a' radar failure due to overheated radar site. The site air condition...

Attributes
ACN	344285
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tpa
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	flight time total : 150
ASRS Report	344285
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
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:

The air conditioner at the ASR-9 site stopped working. When the room got too hot the radar channel 'a' failed. The radar was unusable for 5 1/2 hours. We should have had an alarm in the control room to inform us the air conditioning was out. We could have sent a technician out to fix it so the radar ASR-9 would not have been damaged. This ASR-9 at tampa continues to fail for various reasons. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated there are no aural alarms for failures of the radar site air conditioning or for the radar channels. Reporter said that he was told, but could not confirm, that supposedly there is a backup air conditioning unit at the radar site which did not kick in. Reporter alleged that no action was taken or planned with regard to installing aurals and said that ucr's have been filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF CHANNEL 'A' RADAR FAILURE DUE TO OVERHEATED RADAR SITE. THE SITE AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING. THE CTL ROOM RECEIVED NO AURAL ALARM FOR EITHER THE RADAR CHANNEL OR THE AIR CONDITIONING. THE ASR-9 WAS OTS FOR 5 PT 5 HRS.

Narrative: THE AIR CONDITIONER AT THE ASR-9 SITE STOPPED WORKING. WHEN THE ROOM GOT TOO HOT THE RADAR CHANNEL 'A' FAILED. THE RADAR WAS UNUSABLE FOR 5 1/2 HRS. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ALARM IN THE CTL ROOM TO INFORM US THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS OUT. WE COULD HAVE SENT A TECHNICIAN OUT TO FIX IT SO THE RADAR ASR-9 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. THIS ASR-9 AT TAMPA CONTINUES TO FAIL FOR VARIOUS REASONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THERE ARE NO AURAL ALARMS FOR FAILURES OF THE RADAR SITE AIR CONDITIONING OR FOR THE RADAR CHANNELS. RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS TOLD, BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM, THAT SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A BACKUP AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AT THE RADAR SITE WHICH DID NOT KICK IN. RPTR ALLEGED THAT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN OR PLANNED WITH REGARD TO INSTALLING AURALS AND SAID THAT UCR'S HAVE BEEN FILED.

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.

Reported situation of channel 'a' radar failure due to overheated radar site. The site air conditioning stopped working. The control room received no aural alarm for either the radar channel or the air conditioning. The ASR-9 was OTS for 5 pt 5 hours.