ZTL controller concerned with shine sector radar coverage of avl airport when limited assistance could be provided to an emergency E120 on approach to avl after avl hours of operation.

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Attributes
ACN	515302
Time
Date	200106
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : avl.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 34
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 9 controller radar : 9 controller time certified in position1 : 7
ASRS Report	515302
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Airspace Structure Aircraft ATC Facility
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : ztl.artcc staffing : avl.tracon

Narrative:

Ashville, nc, ATCT was closed and ZTL shine sector had assumed avl airspace. E120 declared an emergency while on approach to ILS runway 34 into avl airport. The pilot was shaken and unable to provide details regarding the nature of his emergency until after he was on the ground. All the pilot could say was emergency, he hoped they could make avl and that they would need equipment. Just after the initial mayday call, the aircraft disappeared from radar due to poor radar coverage caused by mountainous terrain. This was a potentially disastrous situation since the pilot was busy with an emergency and I was unable to see him. Luckily, visual conditions existed at the time. Had the pilot needed any course guidance or altitude or distance information, none could have been provided. Avl approach needs to be open 24 hours a day or ZTL needs improved radar coverage and a depicted approach on our radar. Immediately west of avl is an 8700 ft terrain area. We should not be working aircraft in this area if we can't see them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR CONCERNED WITH SHINE SECTOR RADAR COVERAGE OF AVL ARPT WHEN LIMITED ASSISTANCE COULD BE PROVIDED TO AN EMER E120 ON APCH TO AVL AFTER AVL HRS OF OP.

Narrative: ASHVILLE, NC, ATCT WAS CLOSED AND ZTL SHINE SECTOR HAD ASSUMED AVL AIRSPACE. E120 DECLARED AN EMER WHILE ON APCH TO ILS RWY 34 INTO AVL ARPT. THE PLT WAS SHAKEN AND UNABLE TO PROVIDE DETAILS REGARDING THE NATURE OF HIS EMER UNTIL AFTER HE WAS ON THE GND. ALL THE PLT COULD SAY WAS EMER, HE HOPED THEY COULD MAKE AVL AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED EQUIP. JUST AFTER THE INITIAL MAYDAY CALL, THE ACFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR DUE TO POOR RADAR COVERAGE CAUSED BY MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS SIT SINCE THE PLT WAS BUSY WITH AN EMER AND I WAS UNABLE TO SEE HIM. LUCKILY, VISUAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME. HAD THE PLT NEEDED ANY COURSE GUIDANCE OR ALT OR DISTANCE INFO, NONE COULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. AVL APCH NEEDS TO BE OPEN 24 HRS A DAY OR ZTL NEEDS IMPROVED RADAR COVERAGE AND A DEPICTED APCH ON OUR RADAR. IMMEDIATELY W OF AVL IS AN 8700 FT TERRAIN AREA. WE SHOULD NOT BE WORKING ACFT IN THIS AREA IF WE CAN'T SEE THEM.

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.