Narrative:

The problem arose when our automation people were told to reintroduce patch level P and Q to the ARTS IIIA system/program. This was supposed to be a better system/patch for mode C intruders to be idented faster. As I understand it, our facility was ordered to put this new patch in the system over a yr ago. When it was turned on, there were so many nuisance alarms that an outcry from the controllers was such that this patch was removed. Again we were ordered to put the patch back into the ARTS program. Here is the problem: we were receiving conflict alerts on aircraft with standard and more than standard separation in trail, conflict alerts on aircraft on final with aircraft taxiing, with aircraft departing all runways, and other aircraft on approach to the other runway. Not only was the continuous conflict alarm in our ears, but there were times when I couldn't even see the individual aircraft targets on final. The ARTS tags were overlapping other ARTS tags. When the aircraft on final began to conflict with taxiing aircraft, even the transponder codes of the taxiing aircraft would add to the unintelligible jumble of ARTS tags. If a real conflict alert was there, we wouldn't know it. Safety is the issue here, and the lives of people are at stake. When I expressed my concern to my supervisor, he said he'd been trying to get someone to turn this program off. Then I went to the air traffic manager. He said there was nothing we could do because those above us (I presume government) gave orders that we had to run this program and document the problems. Safety should not be compromised. Certainly not for documentation of something already known not to work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the facility had removed the ARTS patch in question about 1 month ago and everything is fine for the time being. Reporter was told by facility management that they do not intend to install the patch until they find out why they are having the problem. Reporter also stated that their facility appears to be the only facility within their region that is having a problem with the patch. Reporter also mentioned that this is the second time the facility has removed this troublesome patch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONTENDS THAT THE FACILITY IS BEING MADE TO LIVE WITH AN ARTS IIIA RADAR SYS THAT CONTINUALLY GENERATES FALSE CONFLICT ALERTS. RPTR BELIEVES THAT IT HAS REACHED A POINT WHERE IT IS NOW A SAFETY ISSUE.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN OUR AUTOMATION PEOPLE WERE TOLD TO REINTRODUCE PATCH LEVEL P AND Q TO THE ARTS IIIA SYS/PROGRAM. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BETTER SYS/PATCH FOR MODE C INTRUDERS TO BE IDENTED FASTER. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OUR FACILITY WAS ORDERED TO PUT THIS NEW PATCH IN THE SYS OVER A YR AGO. WHEN IT WAS TURNED ON, THERE WERE SO MANY NUISANCE ALARMS THAT AN OUTCRY FROM THE CTLRS WAS SUCH THAT THIS PATCH WAS REMOVED. AGAIN WE WERE ORDERED TO PUT THE PATCH BACK INTO THE ARTS PROGRAM. HERE IS THE PROB: WE WERE RECEIVING CONFLICT ALERTS ON ACFT WITH STANDARD AND MORE THAN STANDARD SEPARATION IN TRAIL, CONFLICT ALERTS ON ACFT ON FINAL WITH ACFT TAXIING, WITH ACFT DEPARTING ALL RWYS, AND OTHER ACFT ON APCH TO THE OTHER RWY. NOT ONLY WAS THE CONTINUOUS CONFLICT ALARM IN OUR EARS, BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE INDIVIDUAL ACFT TARGETS ON FINAL. THE ARTS TAGS WERE OVERLAPPING OTHER ARTS TAGS. WHEN THE ACFT ON FINAL BEGAN TO CONFLICT WITH TAXIING ACFT, EVEN THE XPONDER CODES OF THE TAXIING ACFT WOULD ADD TO THE UNINTELLIGIBLE JUMBLE OF ARTS TAGS. IF A REAL CONFLICT ALERT WAS THERE, WE WOULDN'T KNOW IT. SAFETY IS THE ISSUE HERE, AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE ARE AT STAKE. WHEN I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN TO MY SUPVR, HE SAID HE'D BEEN TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO TURN THIS PROGRAM OFF. THEN I WENT TO THE AIR TFC MGR. HE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO BECAUSE THOSE ABOVE US (I PRESUME GOV) GAVE ORDERS THAT WE HAD TO RUN THIS PROGRAM AND DOCUMENT THE PROBS. SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED. CERTAINLY NOT FOR DOCUMENTATION OF SOMETHING ALREADY KNOWN NOT TO WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE FACILITY HAD REMOVED THE ARTS PATCH IN QUESTION ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO AND EVERYTHING IS FINE FOR THE TIME BEING. RPTR WAS TOLD BY FACILITY MGMNT THAT THEY DO NOT INTEND TO INSTALL THE PATCH UNTIL THEY FIND OUT WHY THEY ARE HAVING THE PROB. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THEIR FACILITY APPEARS TO BE THE ONLY FACILITY WITHIN THEIR REGION THAT IS HAVING A PROB WITH THE PATCH. RPTR ALSO MENTIONED THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE FACILITY HAS REMOVED THIS TROUBLESOME PATCH.

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.