Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local, a full digital ARTS display radar scope in the islip area was determined to be unusable due to a failed internal component which adversely affected the radar display. When a replacement full digital ARTS display radar scope was brought in to replace the failed scope, it was discovered that this was the last dedicated 'stand by' scope in the facility. Further, this replacement full digital ARTS display scope was not yet certified for operational use when it was moved into position. The technicians had to finish certification checks right there on the operational floor. The airways facilities technicians must be heralded for their efforts to keep this equipment running at all costs. But this constant recirculating of parts and other forms of 'meatball surgery' they are being forced to do in order to keep scopes running is unacceptable. Soon there will be no replacement scopes whatsoever. The new york TRACON needs new displays and soon, or else there will be a major adverse impact on operations throughout the new york metropolitan area, or worse. There have been instances of the radar display failing completely and unexpectedly on operational position. The situation has become critical. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said they are to the point of not having any backup displays because of the cannibalizing of parts needed to repair other displays. He stated that their displays were the prototype of what is currently being used at ord, sct, and dfw, among others, but due to changes are not compatible with N90's equipment and could not borrow a display from one of those facilities. Parts, ie, printed circuit boards, are sent to an electronic contractor specializing in printed circuit boards. Reporter alleges that the repair work does not meet the approved requirements of repair but is accepted as parts are not available. Parts are no longer in production and even if they were, they would not be compatible. Reporter stated the whole facility, ATC/airways facilities, is working together to handle the problem. Reporter said new equipment is scheduled for them in the year 2004 with what was referred to as 'STAR' equipment. Reporter alleged the pc boards are becoming worn from the repeated repair and causing other problems which is having an effect on the usability of the item. Reporter cited an example of a recent situation when another controller's display picture diminished to a single white line. Reporter said a ucr has been filed on the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF THE LACK OF REPLACEMENT STAND BY FULL DIGITAL ARTS DISPLAY SCOPES WHEN AN OPERATIONAL DISPLAY FAILS AND THE STAND BY SCOPE REPLACEMENT IS BEING USED.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 LCL, A FULL DIGITAL ARTS DISPLAY RADAR SCOPE IN THE ISLIP AREA WAS DETERMINED TO BE UNUSABLE DUE TO A FAILED INTERNAL COMPONENT WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE RADAR DISPLAY. WHEN A REPLACEMENT FULL DIGITAL ARTS DISPLAY RADAR SCOPE WAS BROUGHT IN TO REPLACE THE FAILED SCOPE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS THE LAST DEDICATED 'STAND BY' SCOPE IN THE FACILITY. FURTHER, THIS REPLACEMENT FULL DIGITAL ARTS DISPLAY SCOPE WAS NOT YET CERTIFIED FOR OPERATIONAL USE WHEN IT WAS MOVED INTO POS. THE TECHNICIANS HAD TO FINISH CERTIFICATION CHKS RIGHT THERE ON THE OPERATIONAL FLOOR. THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS MUST BE HERALDED FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP THIS EQUIP RUNNING AT ALL COSTS. BUT THIS CONSTANT RECIRCULATING OF PARTS AND OTHER FORMS OF 'MEATBALL SURGERY' THEY ARE BEING FORCED TO DO IN ORDER TO KEEP SCOPES RUNNING IS UNACCEPTABLE. SOON THERE WILL BE NO REPLACEMENT SCOPES WHATSOEVER. THE NEW YORK TRACON NEEDS NEW DISPLAYS AND SOON, OR ELSE THERE WILL BE A MAJOR ADVERSE IMPACT ON OPS THROUGHOUT THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA, OR WORSE. THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES OF THE RADAR DISPLAY FAILING COMPLETELY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ON OPERATIONAL POS. THE SIT HAS BECOME CRITICAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THEY ARE TO THE POINT OF NOT HAVING ANY BACKUP DISPLAYS BECAUSE OF THE CANNIBALIZING OF PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR OTHER DISPLAYS. HE STATED THAT THEIR DISPLAYS WERE THE PROTOTYPE OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING USED AT ORD, SCT, AND DFW, AMONG OTHERS, BUT DUE TO CHANGES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH N90'S EQUIP AND COULD NOT BORROW A DISPLAY FROM ONE OF THOSE FACILITIES. PARTS, IE, PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS, ARE SENT TO AN ELECTRONIC CONTRACTOR SPECIALIZING IN PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE REPAIR WORK DOES NOT MEET THE APPROVED REQUIREMENTS OF REPAIR BUT IS ACCEPTED AS PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS ARE NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION AND EVEN IF THEY WERE, THEY WOULD NOT BE COMPATIBLE. RPTR STATED THE WHOLE FACILITY, ATC/AIRWAYS FACILITIES, IS WORKING TOGETHER TO HANDLE THE PROB. RPTR SAID NEW EQUIP IS SCHEDULED FOR THEM IN THE YEAR 2004 WITH WHAT WAS REFERRED TO AS 'STAR' EQUIP. RPTR ALLEGED THE PC BOARDS ARE BECOMING WORN FROM THE REPEATED REPAIR AND CAUSING OTHER PROBS WHICH IS HAVING AN EFFECT ON THE USABILITY OF THE ITEM. RPTR CITED AN EXAMPLE OF A RECENT SIT WHEN ANOTHER CTLR'S DISPLAY PICTURE DIMINISHED TO A SINGLE WHITE LINE. RPTR SAID A UCR HAS BEEN FILED ON THE PROB.

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.