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Reporter states that the terminal doppler WX radar equipment failed to provide any depiction of WX, even though they were encountering windshear and microbursts.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 437639 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199905 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mci.tower |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm Windshear |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 8 controller radar : 19 |
| ASRS Report | 437639 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : terminal doppler weather radar other controllera |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | radar equipment : mci.tower |
Narrative:
A thunderstorm had just moved out of the area and prevailing winds were strong and gusty out of the east. Windshear advisories were on the ATIS. Numerous gars happened due to microbursts. However, the terminal doppler WX radar (tdwr) failed to provide tower controllers with even 1 single warning of a gust front, a windshear or microburst. This system (tdwr) was designed to provide controllers with warnings in order to provide landing and departing aircraft an advanced notice of these conditions. The tdwr indicated normal operation and was not off-line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the particular situation that was reported on lasted about 1 hour. Reporter also said that a ucr was also filed outlining the problem. Reporter indicated that local facility management, which has performed numerous maintenance checks on the equipment, indicate the mci tdwr equipment is operating well within its parameters.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR STATES THAT THE TERMINAL DOPPLER WX RADAR EQUIP FAILED TO PROVIDE ANY DEPICTION OF WX, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ENCOUNTERING WINDSHEAR AND MICROBURSTS.
Narrative: A TSTM HAD JUST MOVED OUT OF THE AREA AND PREVAILING WINDS WERE STRONG AND GUSTY OUT OF THE E. WINDSHEAR ADVISORIES WERE ON THE ATIS. NUMEROUS GARS HAPPENED DUE TO MICROBURSTS. HOWEVER, THE TERMINAL DOPPLER WX RADAR (TDWR) FAILED TO PROVIDE TWR CTLRS WITH EVEN 1 SINGLE WARNING OF A GUST FRONT, A WINDSHEAR OR MICROBURST. THIS SYS (TDWR) WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CTLRS WITH WARNINGS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE LNDG AND DEPARTING ACFT AN ADVANCED NOTICE OF THESE CONDITIONS. THE TDWR INDICATED NORMAL OP AND WAS NOT OFF-LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PARTICULAR SIT THAT WAS RPTED ON LASTED ABOUT 1 HR. RPTR ALSO SAID THAT A UCR WAS ALSO FILED OUTLINING THE PROB. RPTR INDICATED THAT LCL FACILITY MGMNT, WHICH HAS PERFORMED NUMEROUS MAINT CHKS ON THE EQUIP, INDICATE THE MCI TDWR EQUIP IS OPERATING WELL WITHIN ITS PARAMETERS.
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.