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Controller at bay TRACON reports several ARTS III failures that have lasted for short periods of time. Reporter contends that the ARTS III system is too old and hard to maintain.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 355000 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : oak |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : private |
| Experience | controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 12 flight time total : 2100 |
| ASRS Report | 355000 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
5 ARTS III failures over 2 day period lasting anywhere from 1 min to 6 mins. ARTS III is a computer generated aircraft tracking system for identify. Maintenance technicians unable to determine cause in a computer system more than 20 yrs old and in constant use. Each event is extremely stressful to the air traffic controller. One controller was working 9 aircraft at the time of the longest event and was unable to determine which blip on the radar corresponded to the aircraft call sign and assigned vertical separation to ensure the safety of the aircraft. This controller was visibly shaking after relieved from position.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR AT BAY TRACON RPTS SEVERAL ARTS III FAILURES THAT HAVE LASTED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. RPTR CONTENDS THAT THE ARTS III SYS IS TOO OLD AND HARD TO MAINTAIN.
Narrative: 5 ARTS III FAILURES OVER 2 DAY PERIOD LASTING ANYWHERE FROM 1 MIN TO 6 MINS. ARTS III IS A COMPUTER GENERATED ACFT TRACKING SYS FOR IDENT. MAINT TECHNICIANS UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE IN A COMPUTER SYS MORE THAN 20 YRS OLD AND IN CONSTANT USE. EACH EVENT IS EXTREMELY STRESSFUL TO THE AIR TFC CTLR. ONE CTLR WAS WORKING 9 ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE LONGEST EVENT AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH BLIP ON THE RADAR CORRESPONDED TO THE ACFT CALL SIGN AND ASSIGNED VERT SEPARATION TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT. THIS CTLR WAS VISIBLY SHAKING AFTER RELIEVED FROM POS.
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.