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TRACON departure controller concerned with 'second time around' false beacon targets being displayed on radar indicator. False beacon targets area apparently being generated with departures off runway 35, slc airport. Departure controller feels that a real target may not be issued as traffic to departures if controllers assume the target displayed is a false 'second time around' target.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 390750 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : slc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : slc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 18 controller radar : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 390750 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 10300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Slc has an ASR 9 system. The problem of second time around target has been increasing over the last few months. This system has had problems with extra track and losing or drop targets. An example of this problem involved a B757 departing runway 34L. At the time of rotation a target appeared 1 mi north of the departure end of the runway. Traffic was issued. The target looked like and acted like a primary target. After 1 or 2 sweeps the system idented the target as a secondary target at the same altitude as an aircraft departing runway 35. After another sweep the target disappeared. This or similar situation occurs daily. I'm worried that when a real target appears that it will be thought as a second time around target and not be issued.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TRACON DEP CTLR CONCERNED WITH 'SECOND TIME AROUND' FALSE BEACON TARGETS BEING DISPLAYED ON RADAR INDICATOR. FALSE BEACON TARGETS AREA APPARENTLY BEING GENERATED WITH DEPS OFF RWY 35, SLC ARPT. DEP CTLR FEELS THAT A REAL TARGET MAY NOT BE ISSUED AS TFC TO DEPS IF CTLRS ASSUME THE TARGET DISPLAYED IS A FALSE 'SECOND TIME AROUND' TARGET.
Narrative: SLC HAS AN ASR 9 SYS. THE PROB OF SECOND TIME AROUND TARGET HAS BEEN INCREASING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. THIS SYS HAS HAD PROBS WITH EXTRA TRACK AND LOSING OR DROP TARGETS. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS PROB INVOLVED A B757 DEPARTING RWY 34L. AT THE TIME OF ROTATION A TARGET APPEARED 1 MI N OF THE DEP END OF THE RWY. TFC WAS ISSUED. THE TARGET LOOKED LIKE AND ACTED LIKE A PRIMARY TARGET. AFTER 1 OR 2 SWEEPS THE SYS IDENTED THE TARGET AS A SECONDARY TARGET AT THE SAME ALT AS AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 35. AFTER ANOTHER SWEEP THE TARGET DISAPPEARED. THIS OR SIMILAR SIT OCCURS DAILY. I'M WORRIED THAT WHEN A REAL TARGET APPEARS THAT IT WILL BE THOUGHT AS A SECOND TIME AROUND TARGET AND NOT BE ISSUED.
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.