Approach controller complaint about a landline outage due to antiquated equipment and technology on ...

Attributes
ACN	377235
Time
Date	199708
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : shv airport : bad
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : shv
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	377235
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Shv RAPCON/tower is a split facility. The tower is located at shv airport, while the RAPCON is located on barksdale. Being on this base, we are plagued by chronic landline and power problems. All our landlines must pass through a military telephone vault before they come into the RAPCON. These same lines are looped through this vault before they go to the tower. The military equipment and technology is ancient and dilapidated. It follows a 'rube goldberg' chain of custody, passing through 2 telephone companies' equipment. When we have a problem, these entities waste our time trying to figure out whose equipment the fault is located in. Meanwhile, the RAPCON is held hostage by military technicians and equipment that can't keep up with the current technology. Yet the telephone companies are forced to work with the military on that part of the lines that come onto barksdale. On the date and time mentioned above, our landline, a dial line to ZFW, longview approach control, and deridder and fort worth FSS, was out for several hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT A LANDLINE OUTAGE DUE TO ANTIQUATED EQUIP AND TECHNOLOGY ON THE MIL BASE WHERE THE TRACON IS LOCATED. THIS OUTAGE CAUSED LOSS OF COMS WITH THE ARTCC, 2 FSS'S AND 1 ADJACENT APCH CTL.

Narrative: SHV RAPCON/TWR IS A SPLIT FACILITY. THE TWR IS LOCATED AT SHV ARPT, WHILE THE RAPCON IS LOCATED ON BARKSDALE. BEING ON THIS BASE, WE ARE PLAGUED BY CHRONIC LANDLINE AND PWR PROBS. ALL OUR LANDLINES MUST PASS THROUGH A MIL TELEPHONE VAULT BEFORE THEY COME INTO THE RAPCON. THESE SAME LINES ARE LOOPED THROUGH THIS VAULT BEFORE THEY GO TO THE TWR. THE MIL EQUIP AND TECHNOLOGY IS ANCIENT AND DILAPIDATED. IT FOLLOWS A 'RUBE GOLDBERG' CHAIN OF CUSTODY, PASSING THROUGH 2 TELEPHONE COMPANIES' EQUIP. WHEN WE HAVE A PROB, THESE ENTITIES WASTE OUR TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHOSE EQUIP THE FAULT IS LOCATED IN. MEANWHILE, THE RAPCON IS HELD HOSTAGE BY MIL TECHNICIANS AND EQUIP THAT CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. YET THE TELEPHONE COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO WORK WITH THE MIL ON THAT PART OF THE LINES THAT COME ONTO BARKSDALE. ON THE DATE AND TIME MENTIONED ABOVE, OUR LANDLINE, A DIAL LINE TO ZFW, LONGVIEW APCH CTL, AND DERIDDER AND FORT WORTH FSS, WAS OUT FOR SEVERAL HRS.

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.

Approach controller complaint about a landline outage due to antiquated equipment and technology on the military base where the TRACON is located. This outage caused loss of communications with the ARTCC, 2 FSS's and 1 adjacent approach control.