Narrative:

The ashton radar site located near west yellowstone, mt, becomes inoperative when it snows heavily. This site is located in one of the coldest and snowiest areas of the united states. We use this site to provide approach control service to ida and pih, as well as to service traffic into the bzn area. Additionally, this radar site provides coverage for the sector 8 that feeds and provides miles in trail to the sector 7 that abuts slc. The shameful part is that this problem was recognized before it occurred. A new insulated radome was installed in 1996 and it has caused problems with icing and snow removal ever since. The technicians predicted this situation. We were told that this new radome works well in warm climates but is not suited to cold, snowy areas. There are no plans to fix the problem. Every winter we cannot use this radar site during IFR WX when we need it the most. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the radar site is usually reliable about 95 percent of the time. It seems the problem started around 2 yrs ago when a new radar site was constructed. Rather than being a round dome shape, it is somewhat flat on the top. This shape allows layers of snow to accumulate on top and freeze. Sometimes the frozen mass is 2 ft thick and prevents the technician from getting inside to perform maintenance. The old unit had a round very thin fiberglas cover, and a small heater inside which prevented snow from freezing and accumulating on top and it rarely had the problems associated with the new site. Frustrated with not getting anything done, a controller gave the information to the local newspaper. The paper report prompted an FAA investigation but nothing much has been done. Several calls to the FAA hotline and a number of ucr reports have not done much either. The reporter also stated that there have been some pilot complaints received by the facility. Reporter believes that a number of other FAA facilities in the northwest united states are also having similar problems with radar sites.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THE ZLC ASHTON RADAR SITE IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO WINTER SNOW CONDITIONS AND BECOMES INOP DURING THE WINTER AT TIMES WHEN IT'S NEEDED THE MOST BY ATC.

Narrative: THE ASHTON RADAR SITE LOCATED NEAR WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT, BECOMES INOP WHEN IT SNOWS HEAVILY. THIS SITE IS LOCATED IN ONE OF THE COLDEST AND SNOWIEST AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES. WE USE THIS SITE TO PROVIDE APCH CTL SVC TO IDA AND PIH, AS WELL AS TO SVC TFC INTO THE BZN AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THIS RADAR SITE PROVIDES COVERAGE FOR THE SECTOR 8 THAT FEEDS AND PROVIDES MILES IN TRAIL TO THE SECTOR 7 THAT ABUTS SLC. THE SHAMEFUL PART IS THAT THIS PROB WAS RECOGNIZED BEFORE IT OCCURRED. A NEW INSULATED RADOME WAS INSTALLED IN 1996 AND IT HAS CAUSED PROBS WITH ICING AND SNOW REMOVAL EVER SINCE. THE TECHNICIANS PREDICTED THIS SIT. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS NEW RADOME WORKS WELL IN WARM CLIMATES BUT IS NOT SUITED TO COLD, SNOWY AREAS. THERE ARE NO PLANS TO FIX THE PROB. EVERY WINTER WE CANNOT USE THIS RADAR SITE DURING IFR WX WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE RADAR SITE IS USUALLY RELIABLE ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THE TIME. IT SEEMS THE PROB STARTED AROUND 2 YRS AGO WHEN A NEW RADAR SITE WAS CONSTRUCTED. RATHER THAN BEING A ROUND DOME SHAPE, IT IS SOMEWHAT FLAT ON THE TOP. THIS SHAPE ALLOWS LAYERS OF SNOW TO ACCUMULATE ON TOP AND FREEZE. SOMETIMES THE FROZEN MASS IS 2 FT THICK AND PREVENTS THE TECHNICIAN FROM GETTING INSIDE TO PERFORM MAINT. THE OLD UNIT HAD A ROUND VERY THIN FIBERGLAS COVER, AND A SMALL HEATER INSIDE WHICH PREVENTED SNOW FROM FREEZING AND ACCUMULATING ON TOP AND IT RARELY HAD THE PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW SITE. FRUSTRATED WITH NOT GETTING ANYTHING DONE, A CTLR GAVE THE INFO TO THE LCL NEWSPAPER. THE PAPER RPT PROMPTED AN FAA INVESTIGATION BUT NOTHING MUCH HAS BEEN DONE. SEVERAL CALLS TO THE FAA HOTLINE AND A NUMBER OF UCR RPTS HAVE NOT DONE MUCH EITHER. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PLT COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE FACILITY. RPTR BELIEVES THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER FAA FACILITIES IN THE NW UNITED STATES ARE ALSO HAVING SIMILAR PROBS WITH RADAR SITES.

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.