Air carrier DC9-30 transponder malfunction while conducting precision radar monitor (prm) test proce...

Attributes
ACN	431323
Time
Date	199903
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp.airport
State Reference	MN
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : m98.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 30l Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 14000
ASRS Report	431323
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	431368
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : prm other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : m98.tracon

Narrative:

After arrival, I was advised by msp approach (call to my room) that they had lost our aircraft from precision radar monitor radar inside of sissy for over 40 seconds. Transponder had been placed to 'TA' mode at sissy as per standard procedures, and was not touched again until after landing checklist was done. Captain was at controls and precision radar monitor approach was briefed in detail. Both primary and monitor frequencys were tested for volume and selected at appropriate time. No call was made by ATC to aircraft to indicate any problem with the transponder reception. During the call from the ATC supervisor to me, it was learned that, although the aircraft did drop off the precision radar monitor scope, the aircraft transponder was received on msp approach 'non-precision radar monitor' radar. The msp supervisor, said that this had happened before to another DC9 aircraft. He indicated that he would work with ATC representative to help solve the problem. This event highlights the existence of a technical problem as well as a problem with procedures for aircraft that disappear from the precision radar monitor radar scope. Supplemental information from acn 431368: the captain advised me that there was a question about our ILS precision radar monitor runway 30L approach into msp. Crew thoroughly briefed the precision radar monitor ILS runway 30L per our company. We turned our TCASII from RA/TA mode to the TA only mode at the sissy intersection and it remained there until the after landing flow and checklist. Msp had mentioned that their approach radar never lost us but their precision radar monitor radar did. The msp precision radar monitor procedures are in a testing phase and from what this crew experienced it is not 100%. I think it is eroding safety with all the lahso, noise abatement procedures, cramming of runways, and now aircraft flying in formation less than 1 mi apart side-by-side in IMC conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DC9-30 XPONDER MALFUNCTION WHILE CONDUCTING PRECISION RADAR MONITOR (PRM) TEST PROC. FLC TO FOLLOW-UP WITH FAA AND COMPANY. FO CONCERNED WITH IMPACT OF THIS TEST PROC AND OTHER NEWLY IMPLEMENTED PERFORMANCE PROCS AT OTHER NATIONAL ARPTS.

Narrative: AFTER ARR, I WAS ADVISED BY MSP APCH (CALL TO MY ROOM) THAT THEY HAD LOST OUR ACFT FROM PRECISION RADAR MONITOR RADAR INSIDE OF SISSY FOR OVER 40 SECONDS. XPONDER HAD BEEN PLACED TO 'TA' MODE AT SISSY AS PER STANDARD PROCS, AND WAS NOT TOUCHED AGAIN UNTIL AFTER LNDG CHKLIST WAS DONE. CAPT WAS AT CTLS AND PRECISION RADAR MONITOR APCH WAS BRIEFED IN DETAIL. BOTH PRIMARY AND MONITOR FREQS WERE TESTED FOR VOLUME AND SELECTED AT APPROPRIATE TIME. NO CALL WAS MADE BY ATC TO ACFT TO INDICATE ANY PROB WITH THE XPONDER RECEPTION. DURING THE CALL FROM THE ATC SUPVR TO ME, IT WAS LEARNED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE ACFT DID DROP OFF THE PRECISION RADAR MONITOR SCOPE, THE ACFT XPONDER WAS RECEIVED ON MSP APCH 'NON-PRECISION RADAR MONITOR' RADAR. THE MSP SUPVR, SAID THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE TO ANOTHER DC9 ACFT. HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD WORK WITH ATC REPRESENTATIVE TO HELP SOLVE THE PROB. THIS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS THE EXISTENCE OF A TECHNICAL PROB AS WELL AS A PROB WITH PROCS FOR ACFT THAT DISAPPEAR FROM THE PRECISION RADAR MONITOR RADAR SCOPE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 431368: THE CAPT ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT OUR ILS PRECISION RADAR MONITOR RWY 30L APCH INTO MSP. CREW THOROUGHLY BRIEFED THE PRECISION RADAR MONITOR ILS RWY 30L PER OUR COMPANY. WE TURNED OUR TCASII FROM RA/TA MODE TO THE TA ONLY MODE AT THE SISSY INTXN AND IT REMAINED THERE UNTIL THE AFTER LNDG FLOW AND CHKLIST. MSP HAD MENTIONED THAT THEIR APCH RADAR NEVER LOST US BUT THEIR PRECISION RADAR MONITOR RADAR DID. THE MSP PRECISION RADAR MONITOR PROCS ARE IN A TESTING PHASE AND FROM WHAT THIS CREW EXPERIENCED IT IS NOT 100%. I THINK IT IS ERODING SAFETY WITH ALL THE LAHSO, NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS, CRAMMING OF RWYS, AND NOW ACFT FLYING IN FORMATION LESS THAN 1 MI APART SIDE-BY-SIDE IN IMC CONDITIONS.

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.

Air carrier DC9-30 transponder malfunction while conducting precision radar monitor (prm) test procedure. Flight crew to follow-up with FAA and company. First officer concerned with impact of this test procedure and other newly implemented performance procedures at other national airports.