It was alleged by the reporter that the facility manager ordered the facility open with only an outs...

Attributes
ACN	378598
Time
Date	199708
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ggg
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller radar : 6 flight time total : 60
ASRS Report	378598
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

On the morning of aug/xa/97 I was assigned an opening shift for the gregg county tower/longview approach control facility. When I started to open the facility, I discovered that the only operational piece of equipment was the outside telephone, and a portable radio. All concerned were notified and the tower/approach did not open at XA00 am. Airways facilities were concerned with a new facility generator and had stayed up all night with the installation which was 1 month past date of completion. We could have opened as a VFR tower but our portable radios do not have an outside/external antenna to plug in to. A supervisor showed up and agreed to my course of action. The pps and manager showed up and ordered our facility open even though maintenance personnel couldn't solve a continuing cascade failure throughout our computer, radio, landline, radar, d-brite equipment. I think we should have a minimum list of equipment outage for service provided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IT WAS ALLEGED BY THE RPTR THAT THE FACILITY MGR ORDERED THE FACILITY OPEN WITH ONLY AN OUTSIDE PHONE AND A PORTABLE RADIO WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA. FACILITY EXPERIENCED AN EQUIP OUTAGE DUE TO A MAINT INSTALLATION PROB WITH A NEW GENERATOR.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF AUG/XA/97 I WAS ASSIGNED AN OPENING SHIFT FOR THE GREGG COUNTY TWR/LONGVIEW APCH CTL FACILITY. WHEN I STARTED TO OPEN THE FACILITY, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ONLY OPERATIONAL PIECE OF EQUIP WAS THE OUTSIDE TELEPHONE, AND A PORTABLE RADIO. ALL CONCERNED WERE NOTIFIED AND THE TWR/APCH DID NOT OPEN AT XA00 AM. AIRWAYS FACILITIES WERE CONCERNED WITH A NEW FACILITY GENERATOR AND HAD STAYED UP ALL NIGHT WITH THE INSTALLATION WHICH WAS 1 MONTH PAST DATE OF COMPLETION. WE COULD HAVE OPENED AS A VFR TWR BUT OUR PORTABLE RADIOS DO NOT HAVE AN OUTSIDE/EXTERNAL ANTENNA TO PLUG IN TO. A SUPVR SHOWED UP AND AGREED TO MY COURSE OF ACTION. THE PPS AND MGR SHOWED UP AND ORDERED OUR FACILITY OPEN EVEN THOUGH MAINT PERSONNEL COULDN'T SOLVE A CONTINUING CASCADE FAILURE THROUGHOUT OUR COMPUTER, RADIO, LANDLINE, RADAR, D-BRITE EQUIP. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM LIST OF EQUIP OUTAGE FOR SVC PROVIDED.

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.

It was alleged by the reporter that the facility manager ordered the facility open with only an outside phone and a portable radio without an external antenna. Facility experienced an equipment outage due to a maintenance installation problem with a new generator.