Controller at pia alleges that a maintenance technician at the facility continually pulls cards from...

Attributes
ACN	359620
Time
Date	199701
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pia
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pia
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	359620
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The tower and TRACON at peoria ATCT (peoria, il) experienced numerous failures of the communications (icss) system, leaving the entire facility unable to communicate normally with aircraft and surrounding ATC facilities. The outages affected virtually every control position in the facility, and was reportedly caused by an FAA maintenance technician, who has repeatedly caused radio and land line failures while working on peoria's communication equipment. This technician frequently 'pulls cards' and somehow 'shorts-out' radios, land lines and other equipment, causing unexpected and unscheduled equipment outages. When this happens with live air traffic in the area, the margin of safety is a grave concern of both controllers and supervisors alike. While these latest failures of local, ground control and all TRACON position fortunately did not jeopardize air traffic, this technician must be stopped before he causes a serious problem. The FAA must accurately and consistently document this type of situation, so potential disasters may be prevented.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR AT PIA ALLEGES THAT A MAINT TECHNICIAN AT THE FACILITY CONTINUALLY PULLS CARDS FROM THE ICSS SYS CAUSING COMPLETE COM FAILURE FOR THE TWR AND TRACON. RPTR SAYS THIS MUST STOP AND DOCUMENTATION MUST BE MADE OF ALL THE OUTAGES.

Narrative: THE TWR AND TRACON AT PEORIA ATCT (PEORIA, IL) EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THE COMS (ICSS) SYS, LEAVING THE ENTIRE FACILITY UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE NORMALLY WITH ACFT AND SURROUNDING ATC FACILITIES. THE OUTAGES AFFECTED VIRTUALLY EVERY CTL POS IN THE FACILITY, AND WAS REPORTEDLY CAUSED BY AN FAA MAINT TECHNICIAN, WHO HAS REPEATEDLY CAUSED RADIO AND LAND LINE FAILURES WHILE WORKING ON PEORIA'S COM EQUIP. THIS TECHNICIAN FREQUENTLY 'PULLS CARDS' AND SOMEHOW 'SHORTS-OUT' RADIOS, LAND LINES AND OTHER EQUIP, CAUSING UNEXPECTED AND UNSCHEDULED EQUIP OUTAGES. WHEN THIS HAPPENS WITH LIVE AIR TFC IN THE AREA, THE MARGIN OF SAFETY IS A GRAVE CONCERN OF BOTH CTLRS AND SUPVRS ALIKE. WHILE THESE LATEST FAILURES OF LCL, GND CTL AND ALL TRACON POS FORTUNATELY DID NOT JEOPARDIZE AIR TFC, THIS TECHNICIAN MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE HE CAUSES A SERIOUS PROB. THE FAA MUST ACCURATELY AND CONSISTENTLY DOCUMENT THIS TYPE OF SIT, SO POTENTIAL DISASTERS MAY BE PREVENTED.

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.

Controller at pia alleges that a maintenance technician at the facility continually pulls cards from the icss system causing complete communication failure for the tower and TRACON. Reporter says this must stop and documentation must be made of all the outages.