Narrative:

I am writing to inform you of an unsafe situation at muskegon ATC tower, muskegon, mi. I have attached a letter I wrote to my manager yesterday involving article 65 protections for all controllers at muskegon tower. My concerns are: 1) the FAA installed a new piece of equipment in our facility that is vital to the safe movement of aircraft. However, the FAA failed to ensure the system would be reliable in the field in varying environments. 2) our backup generator is not capable of providing the proper consistent voltage to ensure the new radar data system will work uninterrupted. Situation: on friday 5-XX-98 muskegon ATCT went to emergency backup generator power due to a storm. We were told we might have to stay on it for three days. While on the emergency generator over a 2 1/2 day period, muskegon lost vital radar tracking data 25 times. I have written my senator and others about this situation. I hope you can also look into this situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the back up generator is being replaced, the dnip card is more sensitive to power fluctuations and takes longer to restore ARTS data than the previous ARTS iia but that ARTS iie system support personnel from outside the facility are working on the problem. Reporter indicated that there has been strong support from the facility at management and af personnel to resolve the generator and ARTS iie problems.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES THE FAC BACK UP GENERATOR IS NOT CAPABLE OF SUPPLYING PROPER VOLTAGE FOR THE NEW RADAR SYSTEM, ARTS IIE.

Narrative: I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF AN UNSAFE SIT AT MUSKEGON ATC TWR, MUSKEGON, MI. I HAVE ATTACHED A LETTER I WROTE TO MY MANAGER YESTERDAY INVOLVING ARTICLE 65 PROTECTIONS FOR ALL CTLRS AT MUSKEGON TWR. MY CONCERNS ARE: 1) THE FAA INSTALLED A NEW PIECE OF EQUIP IN OUR FAC THAT IS VITAL TO THE SAFE MOVEMENT OF ACFT. HOWEVER, THE FAA FAILED TO ENSURE THE SYSTEM WOULD BE RELIABLE IN THE FIELD IN VARYING ENVIRONMENTS. 2) OUR BACKUP GENERATOR IS NOT CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE PROPER CONSISTENT VOLTAGE TO ENSURE THE NEW RADAR DATA SYSTEM WILL WORK UNINTERRUPTED. SIT: ON FRIDAY 5-XX-98 MUSKEGON ATCT WENT TO EMER BACKUP GENERATOR PWR DUE TO A STORM. WE WERE TOLD WE MIGHT HAVE TO STAY ON IT FOR THREE DAYS. WHILE ON THE EMER GENERATOR OVER A 2 1/2 DAY PERIOD, MUSKEGON LOST VITAL RADAR TRACKING DATA 25 TIMES. I HAVE WRITTEN MY SENATOR AND OTHERS ABOUT THIS SIT. I HOPE YOU CAN ALSO LOOK INTO THIS SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE BACK UP GENERATOR IS BEING REPLACED, THE DNIP CARD IS MORE SENSITIVE TO PWR FLUCTUATIONS AND TAKES LONGER TO RESTORE ARTS DATA THAN THE PREVIOUS ARTS IIA BUT THAT ARTS IIE SYSTEM SUPPORT PERSONNEL FROM OUTSIDE THE FAC ARE WORKING ON THE PROB. RPTR INDICATED THAT THERE HAS BEEN STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE FAC AT MANAGEMENT AND AF PERSONNEL TO RESOLVE THE GENERATOR AND ARTS IIE PROBS.

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.