Narrative:

Very heavy traffic with IFR WX at all airports in approach airspace. I was working 10 active aircraft. 3 of these airplanes were non radar. One of the non radar aircraft had a non operative transponder. This plane had a route of flight of and direct cae at 5000 ft. Cae was in a cenrap operation. Their primary and secondary radar was OTS for drive gear replacement (one of the drives still worked). Cae approach did not tell gsp of their cenrap operations. I had approved a non radar 4000 ft flight direct grd-ceu at 4000 ft with cae. The non transponder aircraft was also at 4000 ft because of crossing 5000 ft traffic. I was too preoccupied with these aircraft and other aircraft both on overflts and vector for approachs that I did not see 2 aircraft at 7000 ft. After I climbed non transponder aircraft to 5000 ft I was told by my controller in charge that cae could not accept this aircraft with no explanation. I then told aircraft to join airway, report established and 15 NM southeast of grd. I had to go back on land line to coordinate aircraft myself. Right after a position report and frequency change of the 5000 ft non transponder aircraft, the conflict alert went off. I took action to turn both aircraft but separation was lost when one of the planes failed to respond to 2 calls. Problems cae on cenrap and gsp was not told about this. I spent too much time getting position reports, altitude verifications and coordinating these non radar aircraft. Radar coverage is very poor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he had lost separation between the 2 radar aircraft while he was on the land line coordination with cae cenrap. At that time he was advised the cenrap had a radar outage. His radar position was combined and he was getting some help with coordination from the controller in charge. As a result of the operational error, changes have been made to LOA's with adjacent facilities to insure equipment problems are immediately reported.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BUSY GSP RADAR APCH CTLR BECAME DISTRACTED WITH 3 NON XPONDER GA ACFT AND LOST SEPARATION WITH 2 RADAR IDENTED ACFT AT 7000 FT ON CONVERGING COURSES.

Narrative: VERY HVY TFC WITH IFR WX AT ALL ARPTS IN APCH AIRSPACE. I WAS WORKING 10 ACTIVE ACFT. 3 OF THESE AIRPLANES WERE NON RADAR. ONE OF THE NON RADAR ACFT HAD A NON OPERATIVE XPONDER. THIS PLANE HAD A RTE OF FLT OF AND DIRECT CAE AT 5000 FT. CAE WAS IN A CENRAP OP. THEIR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADAR WAS OTS FOR DRIVE GEAR REPLACEMENT (ONE OF THE DRIVES STILL WORKED). CAE APCH DID NOT TELL GSP OF THEIR CENRAP OPS. I HAD APPROVED A NON RADAR 4000 FT FLT DIRECT GRD-CEU AT 4000 FT WITH CAE. THE NON XPONDER ACFT WAS ALSO AT 4000 FT BECAUSE OF XING 5000 FT TFC. I WAS TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH THESE ACFT AND OTHER ACFT BOTH ON OVERFLTS AND VECTOR FOR APCHS THAT I DID NOT SEE 2 ACFT AT 7000 FT. AFTER I CLBED NON XPONDER ACFT TO 5000 FT I WAS TOLD BY MY CIC THAT CAE COULD NOT ACCEPT THIS ACFT WITH NO EXPLANATION. I THEN TOLD ACFT TO JOIN AIRWAY, RPT ESTABLISHED AND 15 NM SE OF GRD. I HAD TO GO BACK ON LAND LINE TO COORDINATE ACFT MYSELF. RIGHT AFTER A POS RPT AND FREQ CHANGE OF THE 5000 FT NON XPONDER ACFT, THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF. I TOOK ACTION TO TURN BOTH ACFT BUT SEPARATION WAS LOST WHEN ONE OF THE PLANES FAILED TO RESPOND TO 2 CALLS. PROBS CAE ON CENRAP AND GSP WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THIS. I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME GETTING POS RPTS, ALT VERIFICATIONS AND COORDINATING THESE NON RADAR ACFT. RADAR COVERAGE IS VERY POOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE HAD LOST SEPARATION BTWN THE 2 RADAR ACFT WHILE HE WAS ON THE LAND LINE COORD WITH CAE CENRAP. AT THAT TIME HE WAS ADVISED THE CENRAP HAD A RADAR OUTAGE. HIS RADAR POS WAS COMBINED AND HE WAS GETTING SOME HELP WITH COORD FROM THE CIC. AS A RESULT OF THE OPERROR, CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO LOA'S WITH ADJACENT FACILITIES TO INSURE EQUIP PROBS ARE IMMEDIATELY RPTED.

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.