37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 383310 |
Time | |
Date | 199710 |
Day | Thu |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : shv |
State Reference | LA |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
Environment | |
Light | Night |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Qualification | controller : radar |
Experience | controller military : 3 controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 4 |
ASRS Report | 383310 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Qualification | controller : radar |
Experience | controller military : 3 controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 4 |
ASRS Report | 383320 |
Events | |
Anomaly | other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other controllera |
Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
Consequence | Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
Air Traffic Incident | other |
Situations | |
Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Shreveport RAPCON/tower is a 'split' facility. The tower is located at shreveport regional airport, while the RAPCON (radar approach control) is located on barksdale military base 10 mi to the east. We are plagued with chronic land line problems. All our land lines must pass through a military telephone vault before they go to the tower or the RAPCON. The military equipment and technology is ancient and dilapidated. Our telephone protocol follows a rube goldberg chain of custody, passing through phone company a and phone company B equipment before going through the military equipment. When we have a problem, these entities waste our time trying to figure out with whose equipment the fault lies. Meanwhile, we are held hostage by military technicians and equipment that can't keep up with the current technology. On the date and time mentioned above, the line in the tower had so much feedback as to be unusable for 24 mins. 14 mins of that time was after the approach control had been remoted to the tower for the next shift. Supplemental information from acn 383320: on the date and time mentioned above, our phone lines were severed, rendering five lines OTS. These lines are used to coordinate between the tower and the RAPCON and between the RAPCON and adjacent facilities.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT TELEPHONE COMPANY LAND LINES BTWN THE TWR AND APCH CTL FACILITY ARE OLD AND DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN BY TECHNICIANS. AS A RESULT, THE LAND LINES FREQUENTLY BECOME UNUSABLE.
Narrative: SHREVEPORT RAPCON/TWR IS A 'SPLIT' FACILITY. THE TWR IS LOCATED AT SHREVEPORT REGIONAL ARPT, WHILE THE RAPCON (RADAR APCH CTL) IS LOCATED ON BARKSDALE MIL BASE 10 MI TO THE E. WE ARE PLAGUED WITH CHRONIC LAND LINE PROBS. ALL OUR LAND LINES MUST PASS THROUGH A MIL TELEPHONE VAULT BEFORE THEY GO TO THE TWR OR THE RAPCON. THE MIL EQUIP AND TECHNOLOGY IS ANCIENT AND DILAPIDATED. OUR TELEPHONE PROTOCOL FOLLOWS A RUBE GOLDBERG CHAIN OF CUSTODY, PASSING THROUGH PHONE COMPANY A AND PHONE COMPANY B EQUIP BEFORE GOING THROUGH THE MIL EQUIP. WHEN WE HAVE A PROB, THESE ENTITIES WASTE OUR TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WITH WHOSE EQUIP THE FAULT LIES. MEANWHILE, WE ARE HELD HOSTAGE BY MIL TECHNICIANS AND EQUIP THAT CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. ON THE DATE AND TIME MENTIONED ABOVE, THE LINE IN THE TWR HAD SO MUCH FEEDBACK AS TO BE UNUSABLE FOR 24 MINS. 14 MINS OF THAT TIME WAS AFTER THE APCH CTL HAD BEEN REMOTED TO THE TWR FOR THE NEXT SHIFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 383320: ON THE DATE AND TIME MENTIONED ABOVE, OUR PHONE LINES WERE SEVERED, RENDERING FIVE LINES OTS. THESE LINES ARE USED TO COORDINATE BTWN THE TWR AND THE RAPCON AND BTWN THE RAPCON AND ADJACENT FACILITIES.
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.