Reporter's facility is located on a military base which experienced 4 power fluctuations in a short ...

Narrative:

We experienced 4 power fluctuations in a very short period of time at shv RAPCON. I went to turn on the engine generator as a preventive measure, but couldn't get it turned on. Our maintenance people finally got the engine generator turned on. Shv RAPCON is located on barksdale AFB. Power outages and interruptions like this are routine, and they are taking a terrible toll on the equipment. My understanding is that the power comes onto the base from the local power company, then goes to a substation on the base. My understanding is that an expansion of electrical use by the base is not being met with an expansion of the power grid on barksdale. The service is unreliable. The answer would be to move the approach control over to the regional airport where the control tower is located, 12 mi to the west. In the meantime, the RAPCON needs the protection of an uninterrupted power source for the ASR-9 and the mode south beacon. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the generator has been temporarily fixed by maintenance and alleged that it is in need of a major overhaul or will have to be replaced.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR'S FACILITY IS LOCATED ON A MIL BASE WHICH EXPERIENCED 4 PWR FLUCTUATIONS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. INITIALLY RPTR WAS UNABLE TO START THE STANDBY ENG GENERATOR. RPTR SAYS SVC IS UNRELIABLE AND FACILITY NEEDS PROTECTION OF AN UNINTERRUPTED PWR SOURCE.

Narrative: WE EXPERIENCED 4 PWR FLUCTUATIONS IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AT SHV RAPCON. I WENT TO TURN ON THE ENG GENERATOR AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE, BUT COULDN'T GET IT TURNED ON. OUR MAINT PEOPLE FINALLY GOT THE ENG GENERATOR TURNED ON. SHV RAPCON IS LOCATED ON BARKSDALE AFB. PWR OUTAGES AND INTERRUPTIONS LIKE THIS ARE ROUTINE, AND THEY ARE TAKING A TERRIBLE TOLL ON THE EQUIP. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE PWR COMES ONTO THE BASE FROM THE LCL PWR COMPANY, THEN GOES TO A SUBSTATION ON THE BASE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AN EXPANSION OF ELECTRICAL USE BY THE BASE IS NOT BEING MET WITH AN EXPANSION OF THE PWR GRID ON BARKSDALE. THE SVC IS UNRELIABLE. THE ANSWER WOULD BE TO MOVE THE APCH CTL OVER TO THE REGIONAL ARPT WHERE THE CTL TWR IS LOCATED, 12 MI TO THE W. IN THE MEANTIME, THE RAPCON NEEDS THE PROTECTION OF AN UNINTERRUPTED PWR SOURCE FOR THE ASR-9 AND THE MODE S BEACON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE GENERATOR HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY FIXED BY MAINT AND ALLEGED THAT IT IS IN NEED OF A MAJOR OVERHAUL OR WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED.

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	376436
Time
Date	199708
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : shv
State Reference	LA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	376436
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Reporter's facility is located on a military base which experienced 4 power fluctuations in a short period of time. Initially reporter was unable to start the standby engine generator. Reporter says service is unreliable and facility needs protection of an uninterrupted power source.