Reporter claims the ground control icss failure was due to static discharge from lack of humidity in...

Attributes
ACN	358807
Time
Date	199701
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : apa
State Reference	CO
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 5 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	358807
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Lack of humidity in tower cabin combined with janitor vacuuming caused static discharge which resulted in the failure of ground control icss position. This is a recurring problem. Humidifier is running at maximum capacity and cannot even produce 30 percent rh. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that maintenance is working on the problem. Reporter indicated that a fire protection system creates a downdraft and sucks air from the tower creating the problem. Reporter said that they have 4 portable humidifiers in the tower but still have the problem. Reporter alleges that it occurs when the janitor is vacuuming regardless of location in the tower. Reporter indicated the outages are at random position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THE GND CTL ICSS FAILURE WAS DUE TO STATIC DISCHARGE FROM LACK OF HUMIDITY IN THE TWR IN COMBINATION WITH THE JANITOR VACUUMING.

Narrative: LACK OF HUMIDITY IN TWR CABIN COMBINED WITH JANITOR VACUUMING CAUSED STATIC DISCHARGE WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE OF GND CTL ICSS POS. THIS IS A RECURRING PROB. HUMIDIFIER IS RUNNING AT MAX CAPACITY AND CANNOT EVEN PRODUCE 30 PERCENT RH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT MAINT IS WORKING ON THE PROB. RPTR INDICATED THAT A FIRE PROTECTION SYS CREATES A DOWNDRAFT AND SUCKS AIR FROM THE TWR CREATING THE PROB. RPTR SAID THAT THEY HAVE 4 PORTABLE HUMIDIFIERS IN THE TWR BUT STILL HAVE THE PROB. RPTR ALLEGES THAT IT OCCURS WHEN THE JANITOR IS VACUUMING REGARDLESS OF LOCATION IN THE TWR. RPTR INDICATED THE OUTAGES ARE AT RANDOM 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.

Reporter claims the ground control icss failure was due to static discharge from lack of humidity in the tower in combination with the janitor vacuuming.