Narrative:

The purpose of this report is to inform NASA of an ongoing problem at rdu tower. On a daily basis, controllers here are forced to work around numerous false targets. I believe NASA reports have been filed in the past on this problem and I am not interested in being redundant. However, the problems that occur here on a daily basis, while they may be similar, are not identical. These false targets move around from departure airspace to final airspace to arrival airspace and can and do cause trouble in all sectors. I fear that controllers, myself included, have seen so many false targets that we now have moved traffic calls on what are assumed to be phantoms to the bottom of our priority list. On several separate occasions, I have called traffic on what I believed to be a false target only to have the other aircraft come back with 'traffic in sight.' I do not believe our problem here is related to the national problems with ASR-9 radar. Prior to sep/96, we had very few false false targets. When we saw a target, we assumed it was traffic and made the appropriate calls. Then we were hit with a hurricane in the first week of that month. Since then we have endured an epidemic. The entry 'numerous false targets' has been carried in our log for over 1 yr. Controllers went through a period of logging DME and azimuth on such targets in an attempt to help airways facilities identify problem areas. We were told that enough data had been collected and the reporting was discontinued. That same entry was still in the log on jan/xa/98. There is no relief in sight. Each day, traffic calls on these targets slips a little further down the list. I am afraid that very soon they will begin to be ignored even by our most conscientious controllers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the problem has not been fixed. A ucr was previously filed and is still open. Reporter does not know if the problem has been elevated to the regional office for assistance or if the problem was addressed on the administrator's hotline. Reporter feels the technicians have given up trying to resolve the problem. Reporter indicated that prior to hurricane, they did not have many false targets and now they have 20-30 per day which move at a slow speed and are displayed for a period of 3-5 sweeps of the antenna.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF FALSE TARGETS MOVING AROUND THE DEP, ARR AND FINAL APCH AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO INFORM NASA OF AN ONGOING PROB AT RDU TWR. ON A DAILY BASIS, CTLRS HERE ARE FORCED TO WORK AROUND NUMEROUS FALSE TARGETS. I BELIEVE NASA RPTS HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE PAST ON THIS PROB AND I AM NOT INTERESTED IN BEING REDUNDANT. HOWEVER, THE PROBS THAT OCCUR HERE ON A DAILY BASIS, WHILE THEY MAY BE SIMILAR, ARE NOT IDENTICAL. THESE FALSE TARGETS MOVE AROUND FROM DEP AIRSPACE TO FINAL AIRSPACE TO ARR AIRSPACE AND CAN AND DO CAUSE TROUBLE IN ALL SECTORS. I FEAR THAT CTLRS, MYSELF INCLUDED, HAVE SEEN SO MANY FALSE TARGETS THAT WE NOW HAVE MOVED TFC CALLS ON WHAT ARE ASSUMED TO BE PHANTOMS TO THE BOTTOM OF OUR PRIORITY LIST. ON SEVERAL SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I HAVE CALLED TFC ON WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE A FALSE TARGET ONLY TO HAVE THE OTHER ACFT COME BACK WITH 'TFC IN SIGHT.' I DO NOT BELIEVE OUR PROB HERE IS RELATED TO THE NATIONAL PROBS WITH ASR-9 RADAR. PRIOR TO SEP/96, WE HAD VERY FEW FALSE FALSE TARGETS. WHEN WE SAW A TARGET, WE ASSUMED IT WAS TFC AND MADE THE APPROPRIATE CALLS. THEN WE WERE HIT WITH A HURRICANE IN THE FIRST WK OF THAT MONTH. SINCE THEN WE HAVE ENDURED AN EPIDEMIC. THE ENTRY 'NUMEROUS FALSE TARGETS' HAS BEEN CARRIED IN OUR LOG FOR OVER 1 YR. CTLRS WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF LOGGING DME AND AZIMUTH ON SUCH TARGETS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP AIRWAYS FACILITIES IDENT PROB AREAS. WE WERE TOLD THAT ENOUGH DATA HAD BEEN COLLECTED AND THE RPTING WAS DISCONTINUED. THAT SAME ENTRY WAS STILL IN THE LOG ON JAN/XA/98. THERE IS NO RELIEF IN SIGHT. EACH DAY, TFC CALLS ON THESE TARGETS SLIPS A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE LIST. I AM AFRAID THAT VERY SOON THEY WILL BEGIN TO BE IGNORED EVEN BY OUR MOST CONSCIENTIOUS CTLRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PROB HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. A UCR WAS PREVIOUSLY FILED AND IS STILL OPEN. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW IF THE PROB HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO THE REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE OR IF THE PROB WAS ADDRESSED ON THE ADMINISTRATOR'S HOTLINE. RPTR FEELS THE TECHNICIANS HAVE GIVEN UP TRYING TO RESOLVE THE PROB. RPTR INDICATED THAT PRIOR TO HURRICANE, THEY DID NOT HAVE MANY FALSE TARGETS AND NOW THEY HAVE 20-30 PER DAY WHICH MOVE AT A SLOW SPD AND ARE DISPLAYED FOR A PERIOD OF 3-5 SWEEPS OF THE ANTENNA.

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.