Narrative:

Elp ATCT has had numerous problems with new transmitters and receivers at our rco on mt franklin. This affects tower and approach frequencys. I was working approach when we shifted flows from a 'southwest' to northeast' to accommodate a C130 in bif pattern. Several aircraft inbound, one T38 en route to fanny, IAF for high TACAN. A northeast flow puts arrs in or near mexican airspace. A VFR cessna got a stuck microphone on my primary frequency, 119.7. I made repeated calls in the blind for VHF aircraft to switch to 119.1. Unknown at time that 119.1 main receiver was barely readable. Meanwhile my UHF receivers were completely OTS. While trying to regain control and establish contact with numerous aircraft, a MD80 crossed the mexican border nose to nose with IFR metroliner departing juarez airport. I issued an immediate right 120 degree turn to the MD80 but IFR separation was lost. No report filed because we never do with incidents involving mexico for political reasons. The combination of unreliable radios and a stuck microphone caused me to 'lose control' of situation in a manner of seconds. FAA technicians are only interested in getting an outage off the logs, not in tracing the source of the problem. They will not admit the equipment is unreliable or unacceptable. Repeated radio outages, even if for only an hour or so, are unacceptable in a ground-based ATC system. The radios need to be replaced. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there has been no improvement with the frequency problem and that the new transmitters and receivers were installed 4-6 months ago. Reporter stated that the frequencys are microwaved to the facility and that the rco site is located on a steep mountain and access is only by way of a 2 man tram. Reporter said that the tram is not usable at times due to the strong winds. Reporter was told by a local af technician that he thought the problem was with the frequencys on the mountain but can't convince other local and regional personnel. Reporter said that recently a regional specialist was at the facility and determined that the icss switching equipment and frequencys were 100 percent up to specifications. Reporter alleged that there were about a half a dozen outages in a period of a few days after the specialist left. Reporter alleged that the current manager, temporary 120 day detail, does not have any technical background for radar or radio equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES NUMEROUS PROBS WITH NEW XMITTER RECEIVERS. RPTR HAD A CESSNA WITH A STUCK MIKE AND ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH OTHER ACFT TO A DIFFERENT FREQ WITHOUT KNOWING THE FREQ WAS BARELY READABLE. RPTR CLAIMS WHILE TRYING TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH NUMEROUS ACFT, AN MD80 CROSSED INTO FOREIGN AIRSPACE. RPTR ISSUED TURN INSTRUCTION BUT IFR SEPARATION WAS LOST WITH A METROLINER DEPARTING THE ADJACENT ARPT. OPERROR.

Narrative: ELP ATCT HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBS WITH NEW XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS AT OUR RCO ON MT FRANKLIN. THIS AFFECTS TWR AND APCH FREQS. I WAS WORKING APCH WHEN WE SHIFTED FLOWS FROM A 'SW' TO NE' TO ACCOMMODATE A C130 IN BIF PATTERN. SEVERAL ACFT INBOUND, ONE T38 ENRTE TO FANNY, IAF FOR HIGH TACAN. A NE FLOW PUTS ARRS IN OR NEAR MEXICAN AIRSPACE. A VFR CESSNA GOT A STUCK MIKE ON MY PRIMARY FREQ, 119.7. I MADE REPEATED CALLS IN THE BLIND FOR VHF ACFT TO SWITCH TO 119.1. UNKNOWN AT TIME THAT 119.1 MAIN RECEIVER WAS BARELY READABLE. MEANWHILE MY UHF RECEIVERS WERE COMPLETELY OTS. WHILE TRYING TO REGAIN CTL AND ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH NUMEROUS ACFT, A MD80 CROSSED THE MEXICAN BORDER NOSE TO NOSE WITH IFR METROLINER DEPARTING JUAREZ ARPT. I ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE R 120 DEG TURN TO THE MD80 BUT IFR SEPARATION WAS LOST. NO RPT FILED BECAUSE WE NEVER DO WITH INCIDENTS INVOLVING MEXICO FOR POLITICAL REASONS. THE COMBINATION OF UNRELIABLE RADIOS AND A STUCK MIKE CAUSED ME TO 'LOSE CTL' OF SIT IN A MANNER OF SECONDS. FAA TECHNICIANS ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN GETTING AN OUTAGE OFF THE LOGS, NOT IN TRACING THE SOURCE OF THE PROB. THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THE EQUIP IS UNRELIABLE OR UNACCEPTABLE. REPEATED RADIO OUTAGES, EVEN IF FOR ONLY AN HR OR SO, ARE UNACCEPTABLE IN A GND-BASED ATC SYS. THE RADIOS NEED TO BE REPLACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO IMPROVEMENT WITH THE FREQ PROB AND THAT THE NEW XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS WERE INSTALLED 4-6 MONTHS AGO. RPTR STATED THAT THE FREQS ARE MICROWAVED TO THE FACILITY AND THAT THE RCO SITE IS LOCATED ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN AND ACCESS IS ONLY BY WAY OF A 2 MAN TRAM. RPTR SAID THAT THE TRAM IS NOT USABLE AT TIMES DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS. RPTR WAS TOLD BY A LCL AF TECHNICIAN THAT HE THOUGHT THE PROB WAS WITH THE FREQS ON THE MOUNTAIN BUT CAN'T CONVINCE OTHER LCL AND REGIONAL PERSONNEL. RPTR SAID THAT RECENTLY A REGIONAL SPECIALIST WAS AT THE FACILITY AND DETERMINED THAT THE ICSS SWITCHING EQUIP AND FREQS WERE 100 PERCENT UP TO SPECS. RPTR ALLEGED THAT THERE WERE ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN OUTAGES IN A PERIOD OF A FEW DAYS AFTER THE SPECIALIST LEFT. RPTR ALLEGED THAT THE CURRENT MGR, TEMPORARY 120 DAY DETAIL, DOES NOT HAVE ANY TECHNICAL BACKGROUND FOR RADAR OR RADIO EQUIP.

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.