Narrative:

In the fall of 1996, ewr tower airways facilities personnel certified a new asde map. It appears that the map is either misaligned or misdrawn (aircraft appear to be off the txwys, in the grass). On the morning of jun/xa/97, I was working at the ground control position at ewr airport. I could not see the south side of the airport (terminal a) due to restr visibility. A B757, B737, FK10, and an H/DC10 maintenance repos all requested taxi within this area. None of the aircraft appeared on the asde. I notified an airways facilities technician who changed asde channels, and adjusted some controls. Specifically, no aircraft taxiing on either taxiway a or taxiway B, south of taxiway north, or on taxiway rb or taxiway RA, or taxiway V south of taxiway north appeared on the asde. The local controller also had problems observing aircraft on the asde who were taxiing on the runway 4L for departure (one runway in use). The supervisor finally logged it OTS after both the local controller and myself invoiced article 65 of the FAA/union contract. At XX45 EDT, when the last of the morning crew left the tower, the asde was logged 'returned to service.' as of jun/tue/97 the asde still does not operate properly (as described), and ewr tower management will not log it OTS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a ucr was filed by another controller which was returned by the supervisor 3 days later with the indication that the asde worked and that the ucr was closed. Reporter alleges the supervisor didn't want to discuss the matter and considered the case closed. Reporter said the area the asde does not work is the far southwest part of the airport (terminal) and that this information was not indicated in the ucr. Reporter indicated that the supervisor is not aware of the specific problem area. Reporter alleged that a maintenance technician said that the problem may be related to the airport monorail system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THE ASE DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, THAT IS IT MISALIGNED WITH ACFT DISPLAYED IN THE GRASS AREAS AND NOT ON THE TXWYS AND THAT ACFT ARE NOT DISPLAYED ON SOME AREAS OF THE ARPT. RPTR ALLEGES THE FACILITY WILL NOT LOG THE ASDE OTS.

Narrative: IN THE FALL OF 1996, EWR TWR AIRWAYS FACILITIES PERSONNEL CERTIFIED A NEW ASDE MAP. IT APPEARS THAT THE MAP IS EITHER MISALIGNED OR MISDRAWN (ACFT APPEAR TO BE OFF THE TXWYS, IN THE GRASS). ON THE MORNING OF JUN/XA/97, I WAS WORKING AT THE GND CTL POS AT EWR ARPT. I COULD NOT SEE THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT (TERMINAL A) DUE TO RESTR VISIBILITY. A B757, B737, FK10, AND AN H/DC10 MAINT REPOS ALL REQUESTED TAXI WITHIN THIS AREA. NONE OF THE ACFT APPEARED ON THE ASDE. I NOTIFIED AN AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN WHO CHANGED ASDE CHANNELS, AND ADJUSTED SOME CTLS. SPECIFICALLY, NO ACFT TAXIING ON EITHER TXWY A OR TXWY B, S OF TXWY N, OR ON TXWY RB OR TXWY RA, OR TXWY V SOUTH OF TXWY N APPEARED ON THE ASDE. THE LCL CTLR ALSO HAD PROBS OBSERVING ACFT ON THE ASDE WHO WERE TAXIING ON THE RWY 4L FOR DEP (ONE RWY IN USE). THE SUPVR FINALLY LOGGED IT OTS AFTER BOTH THE LCL CTLR AND MYSELF INVOICED ARTICLE 65 OF THE FAA/UNION CONTRACT. AT XX45 EDT, WHEN THE LAST OF THE MORNING CREW LEFT THE TWR, THE ASDE WAS LOGGED 'RETURNED TO SVC.' AS OF JUN/TUE/97 THE ASDE STILL DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY (AS DESCRIBED), AND EWR TWR MGMNT WILL NOT LOG IT OTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A UCR WAS FILED BY ANOTHER CTLR WHICH WAS RETURNED BY THE SUPVR 3 DAYS LATER WITH THE INDICATION THAT THE ASDE WORKED AND THAT THE UCR WAS CLOSED. RPTR ALLEGES THE SUPVR DIDN'T WANT TO DISCUSS THE MATTER AND CONSIDERED THE CASE CLOSED. RPTR SAID THE AREA THE ASDE DOES NOT WORK IS THE FAR SW PART OF THE ARPT (TERMINAL) AND THAT THIS INFO WAS NOT INDICATED IN THE UCR. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE SUPVR IS NOT AWARE OF THE SPECIFIC PROB AREA. RPTR ALLEGED THAT A MAINT TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE PROB MAY BE RELATED TO THE ARPT MONORAIL SYS.

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.