Clt controller concerned with area specific radar coverage.

Attributes
ACN	496072
Time
Date	200012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt.tracon
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	496072
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : clt.tracon

Narrative:

Complete loss of radar for approximately 5 mi. No primary, no beacon, no ARTS tag. This problem has occurred time and time again. I am not aware of anyone doing anything to correct it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that radar tracking problem is frequent to aircraft transitioning from fay approach control to clt approach control, 7000 ft and below. The track loss is an area 15 mi either side of fay clt boundry. As soon as clt accepts a handoff from fay, the ARTS track will display 'CST,' then drop from the tracked target. The ARTS track will again 'autoacquire' when the aircraft is well in clt airspace. The reporter advised that this area used to be a documented non-radar transition area until fay moved their radar site towards the clt boundary. The reporter advises that this is a heavily traveled route between the two metropolitan areas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLT CTLR CONCERNED WITH AREA SPECIFIC RADAR COVERAGE.

Narrative: COMPLETE LOSS OF RADAR FOR APPROX 5 MI. NO PRIMARY, NO BEACON, NO ARTS TAG. THIS PROB HAS OCCURRED TIME AND TIME AGAIN. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANYONE DOING ANYTHING TO CORRECT IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT RADAR TRACKING PROB IS FREQUENT TO ACFT TRANSITIONING FROM FAY APCH CTL TO CLT APCH CTL, 7000 FT AND BELOW. THE TRACK LOSS IS AN AREA 15 MI EITHER SIDE OF FAY CLT BOUNDRY. AS SOON AS CLT ACCEPTS A HDOF FROM FAY, THE ARTS TRACK WILL DISPLAY 'CST,' THEN DROP FROM THE TRACKED TARGET. THE ARTS TRACK WILL AGAIN 'AUTOACQUIRE' WHEN THE ACFT IS WELL IN CLT AIRSPACE. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT THIS AREA USED TO BE A DOCUMENTED NON-RADAR TRANSITION AREA UNTIL FAY MOVED THEIR RADAR SITE TOWARDS THE CLT BOUNDARY. THE RPTR ADVISES THAT THIS IS A HEAVILY TRAVELED RTE BTWN THE TWO METROPOLITAN AREAS.

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.