Narrative:

Working abaco hi/lo sector (R59) lost primary and backup frequency. Radio site located on grand bahama island (bhf) aprq 15 aircraft on R59 frequency. Immediately had to combine my position with an adjoining sector, georgetown hi/lo (R60) whom had approximately 30 aircraft on his frequency. Extremely busy! The R60 controller had to have flight go over and make a blanket broadcast on R59 frequency, and advise all aircraft to switch to R60 frequency. His radio site is located on nassau bahama island (zqa) 107 mi away. The outage lasted for approximately 30 mins with no separation lost. Thank god. We need a separate backup system. Maintenance said they do not know what happened. The caribbean area between miami and san juan, pr, does not have enough backup communication and radar overlap system. Staff studies show that the traffic has been increasing between these areas by about 8% each yr. Only 3 radars covering 1100 mi, and 3 transceiver sites. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this and a radar problem is becoming a common occurrence. Reporter said a ucr has been filed. Reporter alleged that ZMA and natca personnel have made a joint proposal to have another receiver site located on the site of a former united states military base. Reporter alleges that there was a meeting with a congressman about the radar/radio problem in the caribbean and to get the FAA to apply more priority to these problem areas. Asked if a local backup site in florida would be of use, reporter indicated it would not be capable of the range needed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST PRIMARY AND BACKUP FREQ FOR ABOUT 30 MINS DURING EXTREMELY BUSY PERIOD. NO OTHER BACKUP FREQ AVAILABLE. SECTOR CTLR AT COMBINED SECTOR, HAD AN ACR MAKE BLANKET BROADCAST TO SWITCH ALL ACFT TO THE DIFFERENT FREQ. RPTR CLAIMS A SEPARATE BACKUP FREQ IS NEEDED. MAINT UNAWARE OF WHAT CAUSED THE PROB.

Narrative: WORKING ABACO HI/LO SECTOR (R59) LOST PRIMARY AND BACKUP FREQ. RADIO SITE LOCATED ON GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND (BHF) APRQ 15 ACFT ON R59 FREQ. IMMEDIATELY HAD TO COMBINE MY POS WITH AN ADJOINING SECTOR, GEORGETOWN HI/LO (R60) WHOM HAD APPROX 30 ACFT ON HIS FREQ. EXTREMELY BUSY! THE R60 CTLR HAD TO HAVE FLT GO OVER AND MAKE A BLANKET BROADCAST ON R59 FREQ, AND ADVISE ALL ACFT TO SWITCH TO R60 FREQ. HIS RADIO SITE IS LOCATED ON NASSAU BAHAMA ISLAND (ZQA) 107 MI AWAY. THE OUTAGE LASTED FOR APPROX 30 MINS WITH NO SEPARATION LOST. THANK GOD. WE NEED A SEPARATE BACKUP SYS. MAINT SAID THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THE CARIBBEAN AREA BTWN MIAMI AND SAN JUAN, PR, DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH BACKUP COM AND RADAR OVERLAP SYS. STAFF STUDIES SHOW THAT THE TFC HAS BEEN INCREASING BTWN THESE AREAS BY ABOUT 8% EACH YR. ONLY 3 RADARS COVERING 1100 MI, AND 3 TRANSCEIVER SITES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS AND A RADAR PROB IS BECOMING A COMMON OCCURRENCE. RPTR SAID A UCR HAS BEEN FILED. RPTR ALLEGED THAT ZMA AND NATCA PERSONNEL HAVE MADE A JOINT PROPOSAL TO HAVE ANOTHER RECEIVER SITE LOCATED ON THE SITE OF A FORMER UNITED STATES MIL BASE. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THERE WAS A MEETING WITH A CONGRESSMAN ABOUT THE RADAR/RADIO PROB IN THE CARIBBEAN AND TO GET THE FAA TO APPLY MORE PRIORITY TO THESE PROB AREAS. ASKED IF A LCL BACKUP SITE IN FLORIDA WOULD BE OF USE, RPTR INDICATED IT WOULD NOT BE CAPABLE OF THE RANGE NEEDED.

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.