<< >> NASA ASRS Report 383594, October 1997

A 5 min ARTS outage occurred while a controller had 12 aircraft on frequency. All data tags and beacon codes dropped off. Only primary targets remained. The reporter learned later that a maintenance supervisor was performing maintenance checks on the ARTS radar system without notifying ATC personnel.

Attributes
ACN	383594
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abi
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	383594
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On oct/xx/97, at approximately XA20 am, I was conducting OJT instruction on the radar west sector (all sectors combined). There were at least 12 aircraft on frequency on arrival and departure vectors. In addition, there were also some center overflt targets. All of a sudden, all beacon targets along with the ARTS data blocks disappeared, leaving us with primary targets only. ARTS and secondary beacons were lost for approximately 5 mins making it extremely difficult to work traffic. After some research by the watch supervisor to try and determine the cause of the outage, he found out that the airways facility manager was in the ASR building performing maintenance checks without notifying anybody of his activities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 5 MIN ARTS OUTAGE OCCURRED WHILE A CTLR HAD 12 ACFT ON FREQ. ALL DATA TAGS AND BEACON CODES DROPPED OFF. ONLY PRIMARY TARGETS REMAINED. THE RPTR LEARNED LATER THAT A MAINT SUPVR WAS PERFORMING MAINT CHKS ON THE ARTS RADAR SYS WITHOUT NOTIFYING ATC PERSONNEL.

Narrative: ON OCT/XX/97, AT APPROX XA20 AM, I WAS CONDUCTING OJT INSTRUCTION ON THE RADAR WEST SECTOR (ALL SECTORS COMBINED). THERE WERE AT LEAST 12 ACFT ON FREQ ON ARR AND DEP VECTORS. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE ALSO SOME CTR OVERFLT TARGETS. ALL OF A SUDDEN, ALL BEACON TARGETS ALONG WITH THE ARTS DATA BLOCKS DISAPPEARED, LEAVING US WITH PRIMARY TARGETS ONLY. ARTS AND SECONDARY BEACONS WERE LOST FOR APPROX 5 MINS MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO WORK TFC. AFTER SOME RESEARCH BY THE WATCH SUPVR TO TRY AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE OUTAGE, HE FOUND OUT THAT THE AIRWAYS FACILITY MGR WAS IN THE ASR BUILDING PERFORMING MAINT CHKS WITHOUT NOTIFYING ANYBODY OF HIS ACTIVITIES.

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.