Narrative:

I was working the arrival sector with all position combined during light traffic when my scope lost its ARTS presentation. I was working 3 aircraft at the time, 2 of which were going to require 'swapping out' to land on different runways. I moved to the scope next to me which still had its airports, but I was unable to take handoffs using the keyboard. Luckily another controller was able to quickly open another sector and take the traffic close to the airport off my hands, while a supervisor went to a third keyboard to take handoffs. Had this occurred during a heavy traffic period, it would definitely have been a bad situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON APCH CTLR HAD HIS ARTS PRESENTATION FAIL WHILE HE WAS VECTORING 3 ACFT AND WAS WORKING ALL POS COMBINED. CTLR MOVED TO ANOTHER SCOPE, BUT HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER CTLR AND A SUPVR ASSIST HIM WITH TAKING HDOFS AND TALKING TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE ARR SECTOR WITH ALL POS COMBINED DURING LIGHT TFC WHEN MY SCOPE LOST ITS ARTS PRESENTATION. I WAS WORKING 3 ACFT AT THE TIME, 2 OF WHICH WERE GOING TO REQUIRE 'SWAPPING OUT' TO LAND ON DIFFERENT RWYS. I MOVED TO THE SCOPE NEXT TO ME WHICH STILL HAD ITS ARPTS, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO TAKE HDOFS USING THE KEYBOARD. LUCKILY ANOTHER CTLR WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY OPEN ANOTHER SECTOR AND TAKE THE TFC CLOSE TO THE ARPT OFF MY HANDS, WHILE A SUPVR WENT TO A THIRD KEYBOARD TO TAKE HDOFS. HAD THIS OCCURRED DURING A HVY TFC PERIOD, IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN A BAD SIT.

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.