Reported static electricity discharge to icss equipment caused ground control frequency position to ...

Narrative:

Static electricity was discharged into the icss equipment of the control position I was working, causing the position to fail. I lost all radio communications with aircraft and all interphone communication due to this failure. This has been a continuous problem for several yrs and may cause or contribute to accidents and incidents, if not corrected. An unsatisfactory condition report was filed with the FAA on jan/xa/96, and there is no resolution. Ground controller frequency and position failed causing me to move to a position normally used for another control function. This situation continues to worsen causing additional stress on the system users and will compromise safety soon if left unchked. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the problem has not been resolved and indicated that he is unaware of any proposed remedy to fix the problem. Reporter stated a discharge can occur when passing strips from one position to another causing both position to go OTS. Reporter stated he can feel the buildup of static electricity and will have to key the microphone to see if the position/frequency is still working.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED STATIC ELECTRICITY DISCHARGE TO ICSS EQUIP CAUSED GND CTL FREQ POS TO FAIL. RPTR STATES THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROB FOR SEVERAL YRS.

Narrative: STATIC ELECTRICITY WAS DISCHARGED INTO THE ICSS EQUIP OF THE CTL POS I WAS WORKING, CAUSING THE POS TO FAIL. I LOST ALL RADIO COMS WITH ACFT AND ALL INTERPHONE COM DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROB FOR SEVERAL YRS AND MAY CAUSE OR CONTRIBUTE TO ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS, IF NOT CORRECTED. AN UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION RPT WAS FILED WITH THE FAA ON JAN/XA/96, AND THERE IS NO RESOLUTION. GND CTLR FREQ AND POS FAILED CAUSING ME TO MOVE TO A POS NORMALLY USED FOR ANOTHER CTL FUNCTION. THIS SIT CONTINUES TO WORSEN CAUSING ADDITIONAL STRESS ON THE SYS USERS AND WILL COMPROMISE SAFETY SOON IF LEFT UNCHKED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PROB HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AND INDICATED THAT HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY PROPOSED REMEDY TO FIX THE PROB. RPTR STATED A DISCHARGE CAN OCCUR WHEN PASSING STRIPS FROM ONE POS TO ANOTHER CAUSING BOTH POS TO GO OTS. RPTR STATED HE CAN FEEL THE BUILDUP OF STATIC ELECTRICITY AND WILL HAVE TO KEY THE MIKE TO SEE IF THE POS/FREQ IS STILL WORKING.

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.

Attributes
ACN	371441
Time
Date	199706
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 3 controller non radar : 13 controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	371441
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Reported static electricity discharge to icss equipment caused ground control frequency position to fail. Reporter states this has been a continuous problem for several yrs.