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New tower designed to have half of the d-brites available if failure of a or B buss at the TRACON. Reporter claims that during critical power testing before new tower opened they lost all d-brites. Changes were made and retested and still lost all d-brites. Reporter claims that nothing is being done as they don't have the money.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 353529 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199610 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : private |
| Experience | controller radar : 7 flight time total : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 353529 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During critical power testing before we opened the new tower, it was explained that when the a or B buss at the elgin TRACON was failed that it was designed that the tower would still have half of the d-brites to continue separating aircraft. Every test performed, we lost all d-brites. They made changes and we retested, and all d-brites failed again. Now nothing is being done because it takes $75000 for the switch, and they say they don't have the money. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said it hasn't been tested lately and felt that there is no change to the status of the equipment. Reporter indicated that they would lose all the d-brites in the tower if either the a or B buss were to fail. Reporter is unaware of any changes to correct the problem. Unacceptable.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NEW TWR DESIGNED TO HAVE HALF OF THE D-BRITES AVAILABLE IF FAILURE OF A OR B BUSS AT THE TRACON. RPTR CLAIMS THAT DURING CRITICAL PWR TESTING BEFORE NEW TWR OPENED THEY LOST ALL D-BRITES. CHANGES WERE MADE AND RETESTED AND STILL LOST ALL D-BRITES. RPTR CLAIMS THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE AS THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
Narrative: DURING CRITICAL PWR TESTING BEFORE WE OPENED THE NEW TWR, IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT WHEN THE A OR B BUSS AT THE ELGIN TRACON WAS FAILED THAT IT WAS DESIGNED THAT THE TWR WOULD STILL HAVE HALF OF THE D-BRITES TO CONTINUE SEPARATING ACFT. EVERY TEST PERFORMED, WE LOST ALL D-BRITES. THEY MADE CHANGES AND WE RETESTED, AND ALL D-BRITES FAILED AGAIN. NOW NOTHING IS BEING DONE BECAUSE IT TAKES $75000 FOR THE SWITCH, AND THEY SAY THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID IT HASN'T BEEN TESTED LATELY AND FELT THAT THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE STATUS OF THE EQUIP. RPTR INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LOSE ALL THE D-BRITES IN THE TWR IF EITHER THE A OR B BUSS WERE TO FAIL. RPTR IS UNAWARE OF ANY CHANGES TO CORRECT THE PROB. UNACCEPTABLE.
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.