Narrative:

An air carrier departed mia during a period of heavy traffic. The aircraft was on the correct beacon code, but did not automatic-acquire. All attempts to start an ARTS track on this aircraft were unsuccessful. I requested assistance from the supervisor on duty and he was also unable to start an ARTS track. The supervisor completed a manual handoff to the appropriate center sector. This event was very distracting and disruptive to normal air traffic operations. An event of the exact same nature occurred a few days earlier. I reported that incident to the supervisor on duty. Following the incident on jan/xa/00, the supervisor on duty advised me that there had been approximately 50 such events in the past 4 weeks, and that the automation specialists were looking into it. This type of incident creates an unsafe operational environment and must be corrected immediately. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his supervisor advised that the ARTS problem was associated with a recent patch, fixed pair execution, that could be interrupted by the adjoining facility -- pbi TRACON. The reporter stated that he does not understand how this can happen, and the supervisor's explanation was unclr. The reporter stated that he was aware that a ucr was filed concerning this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIA CTLR ENCOUNTERS EQUIP PROBS AND OBTAINS ASSISTANCE FROM SUPVR TO HDOF DEPARTING ACFT TO ADJOINING FACILITY.

Narrative: AN ACR DEPARTED MIA DURING A PERIOD OF HVY TFC. THE ACFT WAS ON THE CORRECT BEACON CODE, BUT DID NOT AUTO-ACQUIRE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO START AN ARTS TRACK ON THIS ACFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM THE SUPVR ON DUTY AND HE WAS ALSO UNABLE TO START AN ARTS TRACK. THE SUPVR COMPLETED A MANUAL HDOF TO THE APPROPRIATE CTR SECTOR. THIS EVENT WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND DISRUPTIVE TO NORMAL AIR TFC OPS. AN EVENT OF THE EXACT SAME NATURE OCCURRED A FEW DAYS EARLIER. I RPTED THAT INCIDENT TO THE SUPVR ON DUTY. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT ON JAN/XA/00, THE SUPVR ON DUTY ADVISED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN APPROX 50 SUCH EVENTS IN THE PAST 4 WKS, AND THAT THE AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS WERE LOOKING INTO IT. THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT CREATES AN UNSAFE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND MUST BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS SUPVR ADVISED THAT THE ARTS PROB WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A RECENT PATCH, FIXED PAIR EXECUTION, THAT COULD BE INTERRUPTED BY THE ADJOINING FACILITY -- PBI TRACON. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN HAPPEN, AND THE SUPVR'S EXPLANATION WAS UNCLR. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT A UCR WAS FILED CONCERNING THIS SIT.

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.