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Radar outage at center disrupted low altitude traffic around busy airport for several days. TRACON controller states that workload at both the TRACON and the center was greatly increased during this period.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 363160 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mci |
| State Reference | MO |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc tracon : mci |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 16 |
| ASRS Report | 363160 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Without asking for any input from my facility, a level iv TRACON, mci, it was determined that ZKC could do without low altitude radar south through north at our facility. ZKC could not identify aircraft in the area in most places until 9000 ft and in some other areas up to 15000 ft. Aircraft departing the area IFR were affected at lower than 15000 ft altitudes because they had to be given non radar routing for ZKC separation. This causes added workload on my facility and the ZKC sector's affected. Due to this additional workload, I observed, on more than one occasion, controllers having to scramble at the last min to keep separation of aircraft. This outage occurred on our busiest days and evenings with clear WX 1 day and IFR WX the next 2 days. Also, there was increased activity in the area due to a major sporting event in town. This outage should have been postponed to a less busy period and coordinated early enough that alternate procedures or dates could've been planned.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RADAR OUTAGE AT CTR DISRUPTED LOW ALT TFC AROUND BUSY ARPT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. TRACON CTLR STATES THAT WORKLOAD AT BOTH THE TRACON AND THE CTR WAS GREATLY INCREASED DURING THIS PERIOD.
Narrative: WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANY INPUT FROM MY FACILITY, A LEVEL IV TRACON, MCI, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ZKC COULD DO WITHOUT LOW ALT RADAR S THROUGH N AT OUR FACILITY. ZKC COULD NOT IDENT ACFT IN THE AREA IN MOST PLACES UNTIL 9000 FT AND IN SOME OTHER AREAS UP TO 15000 FT. ACFT DEPARTING THE AREA IFR WERE AFFECTED AT LOWER THAN 15000 FT ALTS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE GIVEN NON RADAR ROUTING FOR ZKC SEPARATION. THIS CAUSES ADDED WORKLOAD ON MY FACILITY AND THE ZKC SECTOR'S AFFECTED. DUE TO THIS ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD, I OBSERVED, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, CTLRS HAVING TO SCRAMBLE AT THE LAST MIN TO KEEP SEPARATION OF ACFT. THIS OUTAGE OCCURRED ON OUR BUSIEST DAYS AND EVENINGS WITH CLR WX 1 DAY AND IFR WX THE NEXT 2 DAYS. ALSO, THERE WAS INCREASED ACTIVITY IN THE AREA DUE TO A MAJOR SPORTING EVENT IN TOWN. THIS OUTAGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTPONED TO A LESS BUSY PERIOD AND COORDINATED EARLY ENOUGH THAT ALTERNATE PROCS OR DATES COULD'VE BEEN PLANNED.
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.