Narrative:

May/xa/98 at XA32 during a shift with all position combined to the tower cabin attendant. Maintenance had control of the radar (ASR-9). At approximately XA32 all primary radar targets disappeared and all data tags went into coast. The aircraft inbound to new orleans and in handoff status had a no ARTS tag (nat). After advising all aircraft of the radar outage and separating the aircraft by altitude, I called the controller at ZHU working inbounds and advised him of my situation, what altitude to give the inbound aircraft and their clearance limit (holding fix). I then called the ASR-9 site and advised maintenance of my situation. Their answer was to go to cenrap. The cenrap remote enable switch is downstairs in the TRACON, so I called the controller on break and advised him of the situation. At approximately the same time that he enabled msy to go to cenrap the ASR-9 started to work again (XA43). All during this time, I had 4-5 aircraft on my frequency. Air carrier #1 on short final to runway 10 at msy. Aircraft #1 on the localizer runway 19 approach approximately 10 mi from the runway. Aircraft #2 who was on an ILS approach to new, his radar service had been terminated and he was on new advisory frequency. Air carrier #2 inbound to new level at 5000 ft, 40 mi northwest of new and proceeding direct. Air carrier #3 who had departed new VFR wbound and was wanting to pick up his IFR clearance, but had to wait for aircraft #1 to land at msy before I could issue it. Air carrier #4, a B757 inbound to msy, had to fly 20 extra mi and incurred the only delay. Also, air carrier #5 inbound to new from the north and aircraft #3 inbound from the south were not delayed at all. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he had gone directly to the msy tower cabin attendant to begin his shift. All approach control position had been combined to the tower to be worked on the d-brite mounted in the ceiling of the cabin attendant. Normally, 2 controllers work the this shift and the other controller had gone downstairs on break when the radar failed. He initially was not aware that the previous shift had released the radar to maintenance, but that it had been noted in the supervisor's log downstairs in the control room. He admitted that he should have read the log before going upstairs to begin the shift. He said he had about 5 aircraft on the radar at the time the radar quit and that he was able to provide altitude separation to all aircraft. No incidents or delays occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR ON DUTY AT MSY EXPERIENCES A MAINT CAUSED RADAR FAILURE WHILE HANDLING APPROX 5 ACFT.

Narrative: MAY/XA/98 AT XA32 DURING A SHIFT WITH ALL POS COMBINED TO THE TWR CAB. MAINT HAD CTL OF THE RADAR (ASR-9). AT APPROX XA32 ALL PRIMARY RADAR TARGETS DISAPPEARED AND ALL DATA TAGS WENT INTO COAST. THE ACFT INBOUND TO NEW ORLEANS AND IN HDOF STATUS HAD A NO ARTS TAG (NAT). AFTER ADVISING ALL ACFT OF THE RADAR OUTAGE AND SEPARATING THE ACFT BY ALT, I CALLED THE CTLR AT ZHU WORKING INBOUNDS AND ADVISED HIM OF MY SIT, WHAT ALT TO GIVE THE INBOUND ACFT AND THEIR CLRNC LIMIT (HOLDING FIX). I THEN CALLED THE ASR-9 SITE AND ADVISED MAINT OF MY SIT. THEIR ANSWER WAS TO GO TO CENRAP. THE CENRAP REMOTE ENABLE SWITCH IS DOWNSTAIRS IN THE TRACON, SO I CALLED THE CTLR ON BREAK AND ADVISED HIM OF THE SIT. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME THAT HE ENABLED MSY TO GO TO CENRAP THE ASR-9 STARTED TO WORK AGAIN (XA43). ALL DURING THIS TIME, I HAD 4-5 ACFT ON MY FREQ. ACR #1 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 10 AT MSY. ACFT #1 ON THE LOC RWY 19 APCH APPROX 10 MI FROM THE RWY. ACFT #2 WHO WAS ON AN ILS APCH TO NEW, HIS RADAR SVC HAD BEEN TERMINATED AND HE WAS ON NEW ADVISORY FREQ. ACR #2 INBOUND TO NEW LEVEL AT 5000 FT, 40 MI NW OF NEW AND PROCEEDING DIRECT. ACR #3 WHO HAD DEPARTED NEW VFR WBOUND AND WAS WANTING TO PICK UP HIS IFR CLRNC, BUT HAD TO WAIT FOR ACFT #1 TO LAND AT MSY BEFORE I COULD ISSUE IT. ACR #4, A B757 INBOUND TO MSY, HAD TO FLY 20 EXTRA MI AND INCURRED THE ONLY DELAY. ALSO, ACR #5 INBOUND TO NEW FROM THE N AND ACFT #3 INBOUND FROM THE S WERE NOT DELAYED AT ALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE HAD GONE DIRECTLY TO THE MSY TWR CAB TO BEGIN HIS SHIFT. ALL APCH CTL POS HAD BEEN COMBINED TO THE TWR TO BE WORKED ON THE D-BRITE MOUNTED IN THE CEILING OF THE CAB. NORMALLY, 2 CTLRS WORK THE THIS SHIFT AND THE OTHER CTLR HAD GONE DOWNSTAIRS ON BREAK WHEN THE RADAR FAILED. HE INITIALLY WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE PREVIOUS SHIFT HAD RELEASED THE RADAR TO MAINT, BUT THAT IT HAD BEEN NOTED IN THE SUPVR'S LOG DOWNSTAIRS IN THE CTL ROOM. HE ADMITTED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE READ THE LOG BEFORE GOING UPSTAIRS TO BEGIN THE SHIFT. HE SAID HE HAD ABOUT 5 ACFT ON THE RADAR AT THE TIME THE RADAR QUIT AND THAT HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ALT SEPARATION TO ALL ACFT. NO INCIDENTS OR DELAYS OCCURRED.

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.