Narrative:

Mia TRACON ARTS. We (the whole facility) has tried to get the ARTS fixed. We are unable, our local computer person can't or won't do anything. We (the controllers) are always having to make, do, or work around what ever glitch is going on today. Our job is hard enough without the querks in the ARTS. Traffic keeps increasing and these problems are happening more and more often. We have tried all the avenues open to us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: controllers states that mia has an ARTS III F system, that fll and mia are a dual site, ASR-9, mode system. There are numerous unresolved or unrepaired problems that management and automation are aware of. The reporter alleges that: 'push-up' point out data tags are displayed on the 'G' and 'west' control positions without controller input which require coordination and tag modification before they can be dropped from the control sector. ZMA interfacility handoff's are directed to the wrong control position, which require interfacility coordination to determine who is actually controling the aircraft. Some ZMA handoff data tags can not be modified to the correct control position symbol. Holmstead AFB (hst) personnel are working in the mia TRACON with their own computer tracking and coding system. Airport's within the hst delegated airspace are all assigned the ARTS track 'east' identifier. There are at least three airport's within hst airspace which mia sometimes provides approach information. Each aircraft must be asked what its destination is. The ARTS program needs adaptation to reflect airport destination in the data block. The ZMA 'F' patch for VFR aircraft deping mia airspace into ZMA, or another TRACON's airspace, are all directed to one ZMA sector, regardless of destination. The mia executive airport automatic acquisition area for departures is 3 to 5 miles from runway departure end, and up to as high as 2000 ft. Mia departure's automatic acquire within 1 mi and 300 ft of runway departure end. Boca raton (bct-contract tower) airport has recently opened. Mia vectors some aircraft to the runway 23 final approach course. The ARTS data tag does not display this airport identification. When both the mia and fll ASR-9 system are operating, facility procedure is not to have paper strip duplication. When one ASR-9 system is operating, strips are being printed for controller verification and use. This adds additional controller distraction. These problems, and others have been occurring over the last 10 to 12 months, and have been reported and documented to the automation staff without resolution.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIA TRACON CTLR CONCERNED WITH MIA/FLL ASR-9 ARTS RELIABILITY AND AUTOMATION ADAPTATION CHANGES.

Narrative: MIA TRACON ARTS. WE (THE WHOLE FAC) HAS TRIED TO GET THE ARTS FIXED. WE ARE UNABLE, OUR LOCAL COMPUTER PERSON CAN'T OR WON'T DO ANYTHING. WE (THE CTLRS) ARE ALWAYS HAVING TO MAKE, DO, OR WORK AROUND WHAT EVER GLITCH IS GOING ON TODAY. OUR JOB IS HARD ENOUGH WITHOUT THE QUERKS IN THE ARTS. TFC KEEPS INCREASING AND THESE PROBS ARE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN. WE HAVE TRIED ALL THE AVENUES OPEN TO US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CTLRS STATES THAT MIA HAS AN ARTS III F SYS, THAT FLL AND MIA ARE A DUAL SITE, ASR-9, MODE SYS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS UNRESOLVED OR UNREPAIRED PROBS THAT MGMNT AND AUTOMATION ARE AWARE OF. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT: 'PUSH-UP' POINT OUT DATA TAGS ARE DISPLAYED ON THE 'G' AND 'W' CTL POSITIONS WITHOUT CTLR INPUT WHICH REQUIRE COORD AND TAG MODIFICATION BEFORE THEY CAN BE DROPPED FROM THE CTL SECTOR. ZMA INTERFAC HDOF'S ARE DIRECTED TO THE WRONG CTL POS, WHICH REQUIRE INTERFAC COORD TO DETERMINE WHO IS ACTUALLY CTLING THE ACFT. SOME ZMA HDOF DATA TAGS CAN NOT BE MODIFIED TO THE CORRECT CTL POS SYMBOL. HOLMSTEAD AFB (HST) PERSONNEL ARE WORKING IN THE MIA TRACON WITH THEIR OWN COMPUTER TRACKING AND CODING SYSTEM. ARPT'S WITHIN THE HST DELEGATED AIRSPACE ARE ALL ASSIGNED THE ARTS TRACK 'E' IDENTIFIER. THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE ARPT'S WITHIN HST AIRSPACE WHICH MIA SOMETIMES PROVIDES APCH INFO. EACH ACFT MUST BE ASKED WHAT ITS DEST IS. THE ARTS PROGRAM NEEDS ADAPTATION TO REFLECT ARPT DEST IN THE DATA BLOCK. THE ZMA 'F' PATCH FOR VFR ACFT DEPING MIA AIRSPACE INTO ZMA, OR ANOTHER TRACON'S AIRSPACE, ARE ALL DIRECTED TO ONE ZMA SECTOR, REGARDLESS OF DEST. THE MIA EXECUTIVE ARPT AUTO ACQUISITION AREA FOR DEPS IS 3 TO 5 MILES FROM RWY DEP END, AND UP TO AS HIGH AS 2000 FT. MIA DEP'S AUTO ACQUIRE WITHIN 1 MI AND 300 FT OF RWY DEP END. BOCA RATON (BCT-CONTRACT TWR) ARPT HAS RECENTLY OPENED. MIA VECTORS SOME ACFT TO THE RWY 23 FINAL APCH COURSE. THE ARTS DATA TAG DOES NOT DISPLAY THIS ARPT IDENTIFICATION. WHEN BOTH THE MIA AND FLL ASR-9 SYS ARE OPERATING, FAC PROC IS NOT TO HAVE PAPER STRIP DUPLICATION. WHEN ONE ASR-9 SYSTEM IS OPERATING, STRIPS ARE BEING PRINTED FOR CTLR VERIFICATION AND USE. THIS ADDS ADDITIONAL CTLR DISTR. THESE PROBS, AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING OVER THE LAST 10 TO 12 MONTHS, AND HAVE BEEN RPTED AND DOCUMENTED TO THE AUTOMATION STAFF WITHOUT RESOLUTION.

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.