Narrative:

I am not sure if this is a covered item. On feb/fri/00 at approximately XA15, a snow shower moved through the area. Due to the transmission of radar data via microwave, frequently our d-brite display becomes 'snowy' and renders the radar unusable for separation. This usually occurs during thunderstorm months. As the snow passed, the radar did not clear up. Airways facilities technicians worked on the problem and determined the problem was at the source, pit. A part was ordered. The part came in and was replaced on saturday morning. The radar image appeared to be normal, 'off and on' during the day on saturday, but nobody was available to certify the radar. Again on sunday, it looked good, but was not certified causing an extensive workload on both pit controllers, having to call all inbounds via landline to agc, and agc controllers having to rely on and ask for position reports. I was off on monday and tuesday returning on wednesday. Again, technicians were abuzz in the tower working on the problem. Around XB30 on feb/wed/00 our supervisor came to the tower and remarked 'what's up with the radar?' the absence of this equipment has an adverse effect on the flying public in, on, and around agc airport. We (the controllers) have no time frame or reason to give when asked. Our own management does not even know what is going on with this vital piece of equipment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the d-brite is presently up and running normally. He said after the failure, the technicians replaced the BRITE equipment 4 times and finally, after 6 weeks of outage, discovered a problem with the transmission lines. He said the technicians do not work on wkends and are not on standby except to work on an ILS or VOR. They rarely respond to any other failure. The facility recently had a full facility evaluation. The reporter felt the evaluators took down a few notes and complaints, but nothing has changed. He said it would help if someone -- management or the technicians -- tell the controllers what the problem is and how long it would take to get it fixed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART FOR THE BRITE RADAR AT AGC WAS ORDERED AND INSTALLED. THE EQUIP COULD NOT BE CERTIFIED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WK, APPARENTLY BECAUSE RADAR TECHNICIANS DO NOT WORK ON WKENDS.

Narrative: I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS A COVERED ITEM. ON FEB/FRI/00 AT APPROX XA15, A SNOW SHOWER MOVED THROUGH THE AREA. DUE TO THE XMISSION OF RADAR DATA VIA MICROWAVE, FREQUENTLY OUR D-BRITE DISPLAY BECOMES 'SNOWY' AND RENDERS THE RADAR UNUSABLE FOR SEPARATION. THIS USUALLY OCCURS DURING TSTM MONTHS. AS THE SNOW PASSED, THE RADAR DID NOT CLR UP. AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS WORKED ON THE PROB AND DETERMINED THE PROB WAS AT THE SOURCE, PIT. A PART WAS ORDERED. THE PART CAME IN AND WAS REPLACED ON SATURDAY MORNING. THE RADAR IMAGE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL, 'OFF AND ON' DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY, BUT NOBODY WAS AVAILABLE TO CERTIFY THE RADAR. AGAIN ON SUNDAY, IT LOOKED GOOD, BUT WAS NOT CERTIFIED CAUSING AN EXTENSIVE WORKLOAD ON BOTH PIT CTLRS, HAVING TO CALL ALL INBOUNDS VIA LANDLINE TO AGC, AND AGC CTLRS HAVING TO RELY ON AND ASK FOR POS RPTS. I WAS OFF ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY RETURNING ON WEDNESDAY. AGAIN, TECHNICIANS WERE ABUZZ IN THE TWR WORKING ON THE PROB. AROUND XB30 ON FEB/WED/00 OUR SUPVR CAME TO THE TWR AND REMARKED 'WHAT'S UP WITH THE RADAR?' THE ABSENCE OF THIS EQUIP HAS AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE FLYING PUBLIC IN, ON, AND AROUND AGC ARPT. WE (THE CTLRS) HAVE NO TIME FRAME OR REASON TO GIVE WHEN ASKED. OUR OWN MGMNT DOES NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS VITAL PIECE OF EQUIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE D-BRITE IS PRESENTLY UP AND RUNNING NORMALLY. HE SAID AFTER THE FAILURE, THE TECHNICIANS REPLACED THE BRITE EQUIP 4 TIMES AND FINALLY, AFTER 6 WKS OF OUTAGE, DISCOVERED A PROB WITH THE XMISSION LINES. HE SAID THE TECHNICIANS DO NOT WORK ON WKENDS AND ARE NOT ON STANDBY EXCEPT TO WORK ON AN ILS OR VOR. THEY RARELY RESPOND TO ANY OTHER FAILURE. THE FACILITY RECENTLY HAD A FULL FACILITY EVALUATION. THE RPTR FELT THE EVALUATORS TOOK DOWN A FEW NOTES AND COMPLAINTS, BUT NOTHING HAS CHANGED. HE SAID IT WOULD HELP IF SOMEONE -- MGMNT OR THE TECHNICIANS -- TELL THE CTLRS WHAT THE PROB IS AND HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO GET IT FIXED.

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.