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Frequency outage and inconsistent performance nearly caused an operational error. Reporter states that airways facility is working with the telephone company to rectify the outage, but the problem still exists.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 344306 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : elm |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 344306 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| 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 procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Frequency 124.3 is used as a departure/approach for the ithaca airport. For the last 3 weeks, this frequency has either been OTS totally, or intermittently in service. This morning, our maintenance people told us that it was back in service. Obviously, it's not working properly yet, because the approach controller had to vector 2 approaching aircraft away from another aircraft to avoid a loss of separation because of the frequency problem. Also, 3 weeks ago when the problems first occurred, it took the telephone company almost 1 1/2 weeks before they ever even did anything about it initially. This is totally unacceptable for an ATC facility, especially when air safety is involved.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FREQ OUTAGE AND INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCE NEARLY CAUSED AN OPERROR. RPTR STATES THAT AIRWAYS FACILITY IS WORKING WITH THE TELEPHONE COMPANY TO RECTIFY THE OUTAGE, BUT THE PROB STILL EXISTS.
Narrative: FREQ 124.3 IS USED AS A DEP/APCH FOR THE ITHACA ARPT. FOR THE LAST 3 WKS, THIS FREQ HAS EITHER BEEN OTS TOTALLY, OR INTERMITTENTLY IN SVC. THIS MORNING, OUR MAINT PEOPLE TOLD US THAT IT WAS BACK IN SVC. OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT WORKING PROPERLY YET, BECAUSE THE APCH CTLR HAD TO VECTOR 2 APCHING ACFT AWAY FROM ANOTHER ACFT TO AVOID A LOSS OF SEPARATION BECAUSE OF THE FREQ PROB. ALSO, 3 WKS AGO WHEN THE PROBS FIRST OCCURRED, IT TOOK THE TELEPHONE COMPANY ALMOST 1 1/2 WKS BEFORE THEY EVER EVEN DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT INITIALLY. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR AN ATC FACILITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN AIR SAFETY IS INVOLVED.
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.