ZME controller concerned with byhalia long range radar site outage.

Attributes
ACN	503467
Time
Date	200103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zme.artcc
State Reference	TN
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	503467
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : zme.artcc radar equipment : zme.artcc

Narrative:

On mar/wed/01 the byhalia long range radar was removed from service until mar/sun/01. This outage could potentially have a major impact on the air traffic operation at mem tower. The byhalia radar is the only site that provides acceptable coverage for cenrap. This outage went into effect without any notice to this facility. Upon learning, we also learned that ZME would route a cenrap presentation from another site named sandburg. However, this site provides no coverage through most of memphis airspace from 5000 ft and below. If we lose the ASR 9 feed or have a radar failure, this facility will be forced into utilizing non radar procedures. This archaic process will create massive delays and force the controllers to use procedures that they are no longer trained for. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that secondary radar coverage was sufficiently effective so as not to impact the user. Controller never asked what the nature of the radar site difficulty was.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME CTLR CONCERNED WITH BYHALIA LONG RANGE RADAR SITE OUTAGE.

Narrative: ON MAR/WED/01 THE BYHALIA LONG RANGE RADAR WAS REMOVED FROM SVC UNTIL MAR/SUN/01. THIS OUTAGE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE AIR TFC OP AT MEM TWR. THE BYHALIA RADAR IS THE ONLY SITE THAT PROVIDES ACCEPTABLE COVERAGE FOR CENRAP. THIS OUTAGE WENT INTO EFFECT WITHOUT ANY NOTICE TO THIS FACILITY. UPON LEARNING, WE ALSO LEARNED THAT ZME WOULD RTE A CENRAP PRESENTATION FROM ANOTHER SITE NAMED SANDBURG. HOWEVER, THIS SITE PROVIDES NO COVERAGE THROUGH MOST OF MEMPHIS AIRSPACE FROM 5000 FT AND BELOW. IF WE LOSE THE ASR 9 FEED OR HAVE A RADAR FAILURE, THIS FACILITY WILL BE FORCED INTO UTILIZING NON RADAR PROCS. THIS ARCHAIC PROCESS WILL CREATE MASSIVE DELAYS AND FORCE THE CTLRS TO USE PROCS THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER TRAINED FOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT SECONDARY RADAR COVERAGE WAS SUFFICIENTLY EFFECTIVE SO AS NOT TO IMPACT THE USER. CTLR NEVER ASKED WHAT THE NATURE OF THE RADAR SITE DIFFICULTY WAS.

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.