Narrative:

Ads tower experienced a total loss of electrical power in the early morning hours of XA30-XB30. This was due to an interruption in the commercially supplied power for an unknown reason. Only a small area of the airport was affected which included the control tower. During this power outage the only equipment that worked properly was the outside telephone lines and landline communication with other facilities. The emergency lighting for the building did not activate so one controller had to feel his way down the stairs to obtain an additional flashlight. All of the radios are on a battery backup that should last from 1/2 - 1 hour, however, that did not function. No other equipment is even connected to an alternate power source. One portable radio was available so we could provide services on only 1 of our 4 assigned frequencys. The wind direction indicator is electrically pwred and did not function. Digital altimeter did not function and there is no aneroid barometer for backup. When the power returned, the digital barometer took an additional 35 mins to perform a self diagnostic before it would function. The d-brite radar did not function. After the no-power event, further investigation revealed to the controllers that had we tried to use them, there would be no use of the light guns, runway/taxiway light controls, approach light controls or the runway restr light system. This event was of minimal impact to the airport users, but that was only because it occurred during what is a traditionally slow traffic period. Addison tower has suffered several power outages in recent yrs which lasted from several mins to hours. When this happens unexpectedly during peak traffic (that being as many as 80 itinerant aircraft an hour to the single runway) results could be catastrophic. We continually hear the same old story that there is no money in the budget for improvements to addison tower, much less to build the new tower that was supposed to have been built in 1992 and most recently pushed back to 2004.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ADS CTLR CONCERNED WITH RECURRENT COMMERCIAL PWR FAILURE AND ITS IMPACT TO USER FACILITY PERSONNEL.

Narrative: ADS TWR EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS OF XA30-XB30. THIS WAS DUE TO AN INTERRUPTION IN THE COMMERCIALLY SUPPLIED PWR FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. ONLY A SMALL AREA OF THE ARPT WAS AFFECTED WHICH INCLUDED THE CTL TWR. DURING THIS PWR OUTAGE THE ONLY EQUIP THAT WORKED PROPERLY WAS THE OUTSIDE TELEPHONE LINES AND LANDLINE COM WITH OTHER FACILITIES. THE EMER LIGHTING FOR THE BUILDING DID NOT ACTIVATE SO ONE CTLR HAD TO FEEL HIS WAY DOWN THE STAIRS TO OBTAIN AN ADDITIONAL FLASHLIGHT. ALL OF THE RADIOS ARE ON A BATTERY BACKUP THAT SHOULD LAST FROM 1/2 - 1 HR, HOWEVER, THAT DID NOT FUNCTION. NO OTHER EQUIP IS EVEN CONNECTED TO AN ALTERNATE PWR SOURCE. ONE PORTABLE RADIO WAS AVAILABLE SO WE COULD PROVIDE SVCS ON ONLY 1 OF OUR 4 ASSIGNED FREQS. THE WIND DIRECTION INDICATOR IS ELECTRICALLY PWRED AND DID NOT FUNCTION. DIGITAL ALTIMETER DID NOT FUNCTION AND THERE IS NO ANEROID BAROMETER FOR BACKUP. WHEN THE PWR RETURNED, THE DIGITAL BAROMETER TOOK AN ADDITIONAL 35 MINS TO PERFORM A SELF DIAGNOSTIC BEFORE IT WOULD FUNCTION. THE D-BRITE RADAR DID NOT FUNCTION. AFTER THE NO-PWR EVENT, FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED TO THE CTLRS THAT HAD WE TRIED TO USE THEM, THERE WOULD BE NO USE OF THE LIGHT GUNS, RWY/TXWY LIGHT CTLS, APCH LIGHT CTLS OR THE RWY RESTR LIGHT SYS. THIS EVENT WAS OF MINIMAL IMPACT TO THE ARPT USERS, BUT THAT WAS ONLY BECAUSE IT OCCURRED DURING WHAT IS A TRADITIONALLY SLOW TFC PERIOD. ADDISON TWR HAS SUFFERED SEVERAL PWR OUTAGES IN RECENT YRS WHICH LASTED FROM SEVERAL MINS TO HRS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY DURING PEAK TFC (THAT BEING AS MANY AS 80 ITINERANT ACFT AN HR TO THE SINGLE RWY) RESULTS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. WE CONTINUALLY HEAR THE SAME OLD STORY THAT THERE IS NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO ADDISON TWR, MUCH LESS TO BUILD THE NEW TWR THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT IN 1992 AND MOST RECENTLY PUSHED BACK TO 2004.

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.