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TRACON approach controller states that same aircraft may have 2 ARTS tags automatic-acquisitioning. Recurrent condition has been known and a facility ucr has been filed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 414448 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : irw |
| State Reference | OK |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : okc |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Talon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 4 controller radar : 15 |
| ASRS Report | 414448 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Inaccurate ARTS. A departure aircraft X tagged on inbound aircraft Y after taking handoff from ZKC. Unable to read altitude of aircraft. When trying to repos incorrect tag, it continued to jump back on target which didn't allow correct tag to remain on target. Very busy to be messing with poor equipment, data tag overlap has become a major problem on all position. Mainly on final radar, tags have overlapped so much that the ability to read ARTS is impossible and has become difficult to ensure separation will always exist, that it forces you to run non radar in a radar environment which slows traffic down and causes unnecessary delays to air traffic system. This has been written up as an unsafe condition report and if not corrected could possibly be an incident that may take lives. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is an ongoing 7 yr problem. Facility ucr has been filed. Okc TRACON obtains en route departure codes from ZFW. But aircraft transitioning into, or inbound from ZKC usually require a code change. ZKC is allowed via LOA to change codes on communication xfer for departure aircraft into ZKC airspace. Inbound aircraft may have a departure tag automatic-acquisition on an already tagged aircraft. Multiple keyboard entries are required to 'CST suspend' wrong codes/tagged aircraft. A controller will then have to wait until that aircraft departs before the 'CST' tag can be manually track started on the real departure aircraft. Of course, the controller may have a condition of an ARTS tag timing out for tracking xfer, or may observe another tag acquiring onto it. Traffic transitioning through okc airspace from ZKC to ZFW may also, but not necessarily require a code change prior to handoff to ZFW. The reporter advised that the facility data system personnel have been in recent communication with atl technical center. There is mid-testing in progress attempting resolution, but nothing has occurred as of yet.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TRACON APCH CTLR STATES THAT SAME ACFT MAY HAVE 2 ARTS TAGS AUTO-ACQUISITIONING. RECURRENT CONDITION HAS BEEN KNOWN AND A FACILITY UCR HAS BEEN FILED.
Narrative: INACCURATE ARTS. A DEP ACFT X TAGGED ON INBOUND ACFT Y AFTER TAKING HDOF FROM ZKC. UNABLE TO READ ALT OF ACFT. WHEN TRYING TO REPOS INCORRECT TAG, IT CONTINUED TO JUMP BACK ON TARGET WHICH DIDN'T ALLOW CORRECT TAG TO REMAIN ON TARGET. VERY BUSY TO BE MESSING WITH POOR EQUIP, DATA TAG OVERLAP HAS BECOME A MAJOR PROB ON ALL POS. MAINLY ON FINAL RADAR, TAGS HAVE OVERLAPPED SO MUCH THAT THE ABILITY TO READ ARTS IS IMPOSSIBLE AND HAS BECOME DIFFICULT TO ENSURE SEPARATION WILL ALWAYS EXIST, THAT IT FORCES YOU TO RUN NON RADAR IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT WHICH SLOWS TFC DOWN AND CAUSES UNNECESSARY DELAYS TO AIR TFC SYS. THIS HAS BEEN WRITTEN UP AS AN UNSAFE CONDITION RPT AND IF NOT CORRECTED COULD POSSIBLY BE AN INCIDENT THAT MAY TAKE LIVES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING 7 YR PROB. FACILITY UCR HAS BEEN FILED. OKC TRACON OBTAINS ENRTE DEP CODES FROM ZFW. BUT ACFT TRANSITIONING INTO, OR INBOUND FROM ZKC USUALLY REQUIRE A CODE CHANGE. ZKC IS ALLOWED VIA LOA TO CHANGE CODES ON COM XFER FOR DEP ACFT INTO ZKC AIRSPACE. INBOUND ACFT MAY HAVE A DEP TAG AUTO-ACQUISITION ON AN ALREADY TAGGED ACFT. MULTIPLE KEYBOARD ENTRIES ARE REQUIRED TO 'CST SUSPEND' WRONG CODES/TAGGED ACFT. A CTLR WILL THEN HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THAT ACFT DEPARTS BEFORE THE 'CST' TAG CAN BE MANUALLY TRACK STARTED ON THE REAL DEP ACFT. OF COURSE, THE CTLR MAY HAVE A CONDITION OF AN ARTS TAG TIMING OUT FOR TRACKING XFER, OR MAY OBSERVE ANOTHER TAG ACQUIRING ONTO IT. TFC TRANSITIONING THROUGH OKC AIRSPACE FROM ZKC TO ZFW MAY ALSO, BUT NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRE A CODE CHANGE PRIOR TO HDOF TO ZFW. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT THE FACILITY DATA SYS PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN IN RECENT COM WITH ATL TECHNICAL CTR. THERE IS MID-TESTING IN PROGRESS ATTEMPTING RESOLUTION, BUT NOTHING HAS OCCURRED AS OF YET.
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.