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ARTCC radar controller experienced loss of radar display shortly after strobe line appeared to disrupt the display. 90% of radar beacon displays were lost from 3-5 mins.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 479183 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200007 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dfw.comrdo |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 5 |
| ASRS Report | 479183 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 479180 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar display other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Facility ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | radar equipment : zfw.artcc |
Narrative:
I was working mlu-lo/txk-lo sectors combined on the mlu-lo position. I was the radar controller. The sector was staffed with a radar controller, radar handoff and radar associate trainee (cpci trainee). Sector complexity was extremely high. Numerous aircraft climbing and descending with overflts. Propellers and jets. Between XA30 and XB00 local, I lost most radar targets, for approximately 2-3 mins. I immediately informed the supervisor of the problem. When radar targets were displayed again and traffic diminished, I asked osic (operations supervisor in charge), what had happened. He told me that someone had inadvertently turned the radar portion at that sector off. But we still were receiving radar data. He implied that there was not a problem and that I still had targets in the southern portion of the sector. In my opinion, safety was compromised and this event should not be waived off as a simple accident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR EXPERIENCED LOSS OF RADAR DISPLAY SHORTLY AFTER STROBE LINE APPEARED TO DISRUPT THE DISPLAY. 90% OF RADAR BEACON DISPLAYS WERE LOST FROM 3-5 MINS.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING MLU-LO/TXK-LO SECTORS COMBINED ON THE MLU-LO POS. I WAS THE RADAR CTLR. THE SECTOR WAS STAFFED WITH A RADAR CTLR, RADAR HDOF AND RADAR ASSOCIATE TRAINEE (CPCI TRAINEE). SECTOR COMPLEXITY WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. NUMEROUS ACFT CLBING AND DSNDING WITH OVERFLTS. PROPS AND JETS. BTWN XA30 AND XB00 LCL, I LOST MOST RADAR TARGETS, FOR APPROX 2-3 MINS. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE SUPVR OF THE PROB. WHEN RADAR TARGETS WERE DISPLAYED AGAIN AND TFC DIMINISHED, I ASKED OSIC (OPS SUPVR IN CHARGE), WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE HAD INADVERTENTLY TURNED THE RADAR PORTION AT THAT SECTOR OFF. BUT WE STILL WERE RECEIVING RADAR DATA. HE IMPLIED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROB AND THAT I STILL HAD TARGETS IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SECTOR. IN MY OPINION, SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED AND THIS EVENT SHOULD NOT BE WAIVED OFF AS A SIMPLE ACCIDENT.
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.