Narrative:

Sju tower is using an experimental flight progress automated system (fpas). This system has been in use for over 2 yrs. Its purpose is to replace the use of paper flight progress strips. In the last month (sep/99) the system failed to show 2 IFR flight plans as being removed. Therefore, the flight progress automated system passed the strip from clearance delivery to ground control to local control as a valid IFR flight plan. Aircraft X was cleared for departure. The ARTS did not tag up. Tower radar/ARTS forced the cid and then the transponder code. When both returned 'flight plan not stored' we in the tower coordinated with approach control and approach re-entered a flight plan. No separation was lost. Since this is contractor-maintained equipment, it is not known to me and the people I asked from airways facilities and air traffic if this is Y2K compliant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advises that the experimental flight progress automated system continues to be backed up with existing fdio equipment. The flight progress automated system is integrated with the cerap's flight data processing equipment. Tower flight data inputs the flight plan. Flight data, ground and local controls have individual flight progress automated system CRT's. The flight plan stays at flight data/clearance delivery until the clearance is requested and issued. Flight data xfers the flight data 'strip' to ground control by computer mouse. The flight plan is progressed to local control when the aircraft taxi's out. The ground controller xfers this information by a touch screen function, 'dragging' the flight plan, by use of call sign, from one position on the CRT screen to another. When xferred to local control, this function activates a tracking capability with the cerap so when the aircraft departs, automatic data tagging activates. Cerap retain flight plans with a 2 hour alert function after the aircraft proposed departure time. The flight progress automated system has 1+30 alert function, flashing red, alerting the controller action is required for strip retention, or the flight plan will drop. The reporter is aware of 2 additional instances where flight plans have dropped from the flight progress automated system without controller intervention. The reporter advised that FAA maintenance and the contractor have been investigating these occurrences. The reporter claims the work force has not been advised of any resolution to the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SJU CTLR CONCERNED WITH NEW EQUIP, FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS, PERFORMANCE.

Narrative: SJU TWR IS USING AN EXPERIMENTAL FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS (FPAS). THIS SYS HAS BEEN IN USE FOR OVER 2 YRS. ITS PURPOSE IS TO REPLACE THE USE OF PAPER FLT PROGRESS STRIPS. IN THE LAST MONTH (SEP/99) THE SYS FAILED TO SHOW 2 IFR FLT PLANS AS BEING REMOVED. THEREFORE, THE FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS PASSED THE STRIP FROM CLRNC DELIVERY TO GND CTL TO LCL CTL AS A VALID IFR FLT PLAN. ACFT X WAS CLRED FOR DEP. THE ARTS DID NOT TAG UP. TWR RADAR/ARTS FORCED THE CID AND THEN THE XPONDER CODE. WHEN BOTH RETURNED 'FLT PLAN NOT STORED' WE IN THE TWR COORDINATED WITH APCH CTL AND APCH RE-ENTERED A FLT PLAN. NO SEPARATION WAS LOST. SINCE THIS IS CONTRACTOR-MAINTAINED EQUIP, IT IS NOT KNOWN TO ME AND THE PEOPLE I ASKED FROM AIRWAYS FACILITIES AND AIR TFC IF THIS IS Y2K COMPLIANT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISES THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS CONTINUES TO BE BACKED UP WITH EXISTING FDIO EQUIP. THE FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS IS INTEGRATED WITH THE CERAP'S FLT DATA PROCESSING EQUIP. TWR FLT DATA INPUTS THE FLT PLAN. FLT DATA, GND AND LCL CTLS HAVE INDIVIDUAL FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS CRT'S. THE FLT PLAN STAYS AT FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY UNTIL THE CLRNC IS REQUESTED AND ISSUED. FLT DATA XFERS THE FLT DATA 'STRIP' TO GND CTL BY COMPUTER MOUSE. THE FLT PLAN IS PROGRESSED TO LCL CTL WHEN THE ACFT TAXI'S OUT. THE GND CTLR XFERS THIS INFO BY A TOUCH SCREEN FUNCTION, 'DRAGGING' THE FLT PLAN, BY USE OF CALL SIGN, FROM ONE POS ON THE CRT SCREEN TO ANOTHER. WHEN XFERRED TO LCL CTL, THIS FUNCTION ACTIVATES A TRACKING CAPABILITY WITH THE CERAP SO WHEN THE ACFT DEPARTS, AUTO DATA TAGGING ACTIVATES. CERAP RETAIN FLT PLANS WITH A 2 HR ALERT FUNCTION AFTER THE ACFT PROPOSED DEP TIME. THE FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS HAS 1+30 ALERT FUNCTION, FLASHING RED, ALERTING THE CTLR ACTION IS REQUIRED FOR STRIP RETENTION, OR THE FLT PLAN WILL DROP. THE RPTR IS AWARE OF 2 ADDITIONAL INSTANCES WHERE FLT PLANS HAVE DROPPED FROM THE FLT PROGRESS AUTOMATED SYS WITHOUT CTLR INTERVENTION. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT FAA MAINT AND THE CONTRACTOR HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THESE OCCURRENCES. THE RPTR CLAIMS THE WORK FORCE HAS NOT BEEN ADVISED OF ANY RESOLUTION TO THE PROB.

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.