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TRACON supervisor controller working radar position cites an ongoing problem with the ASR 9 radar at his facility. Reporter states that secondary radar coverage at low altitudes continually goes into coast mode and targets are lost. A ucr has been filed, but the reporter is not satisfied with the agency response to it.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 399414 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : chs |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : chs tower : mia |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : chs |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure controller : approach oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 7 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 2 controller supervisory : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 399414 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Chs is suffering from ongoing deficiencies in the performance of the secondary radar (beacon). Unless the aircraft is at a high altitude (10000 ft) and an air carrier/large military, the ARTS track constantly goes into coast mode. This is especially true of commuter-type aircraft and smaller at 8000 ft or below. Myr also suffers from this same problem. Often, when trying to effect a handoff from one facility to another, the aircraft in question's ARTS track will be in a 'nat' (not ARTS tracked), 'ambiguity' (ambiguous) or 'CST' (coast) status. When we ask beaufort MCAS approach (nbc) or ZJX if they have a good transponder/beacon on an aircraft in question, they see the beacon/track without question. An unsafe condition report has been filed with the FAA in the past, and their reply was basically, '...it's caused by swamp gas, live with it.'
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TRACON SUPVR CTLR WORKING RADAR POS CITES AN ONGOING PROB WITH THE ASR 9 RADAR AT HIS FACILITY. RPTR STATES THAT SECONDARY RADAR COVERAGE AT LOW ALTS CONTINUALLY GOES INTO COAST MODE AND TARGETS ARE LOST. A UCR HAS BEEN FILED, BUT THE RPTR IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE AGENCY RESPONSE TO IT.
Narrative: CHS IS SUFFERING FROM ONGOING DEFICIENCIES IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SECONDARY RADAR (BEACON). UNLESS THE ACFT IS AT A HIGH ALT (10000 FT) AND AN ACR/LARGE MIL, THE ARTS TRACK CONSTANTLY GOES INTO COAST MODE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF COMMUTER-TYPE ACFT AND SMALLER AT 8000 FT OR BELOW. MYR ALSO SUFFERS FROM THIS SAME PROB. OFTEN, WHEN TRYING TO EFFECT A HDOF FROM ONE FACILITY TO ANOTHER, THE ACFT IN QUESTION'S ARTS TRACK WILL BE IN A 'NAT' (NOT ARTS TRACKED), 'AMB' (AMBIGUOUS) OR 'CST' (COAST) STATUS. WHEN WE ASK BEAUFORT MCAS APCH (NBC) OR ZJX IF THEY HAVE A GOOD XPONDER/BEACON ON AN ACFT IN QUESTION, THEY SEE THE BEACON/TRACK WITHOUT QUESTION. AN UNSAFE CONDITION RPT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE FAA IN THE PAST, AND THEIR REPLY WAS BASICALLY, '...IT'S CAUSED BY SWAMP GAS, LIVE WITH IT.'
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.