Narrative:

Loss of ARTS data at ATC approach control facility. Upon completion of the new terminal at dtw, taxi rtes have changed allowing aircraft to taxi for departure in close proximity to the ASR-9 radar. Air carrier has control of the ramp area, and is using transponder codes to keep track of aircraft. The problem arises that these aircraft will be picked up by the ASR-9, a departure message is generated and the ARTS tag will acquire. Since the aircraft doesn't depart (it is taxiing over 2 mi to the runway), the ARTS tag goes to the controller's coast list. If it isn't noticed, it will drop out of coast and be lost. Thus, when the aircraft actually departs, the controller is left without the ARTS data. This increases the workload to unacceptable levels. Also, this is a safety issue as the controller's attention is diverted from separating traffic to dealing with this situation. If you are busy with traffic and you have 2 of these back-to-back, it causes enough distraction that departures should be stopped until you have the appropriate data. Supplemental information from acn 541905: aircraft taxiing for departure when dtw is on runways 27R&left will sometimes ARTS acquire on the ground. If this is not caught by the departure controller, the tag will go into the coast tab then drop out of the system. So when you get busy you have to manually tag numerous departures and do manual handoffs to the center. This is being done while providing radar separation to all the other aircraft on your frequency. Supplemental information from acn 541906: D21/dtw arriving on runway 27L/right and departing runway 22R due to high winds. Departing aircraft were taxiing via taxiway Q and taxiway a for runway 22R. During this time, the departing aircraft taxied with transponder 'on.' during this ground time, on taxiway Q to taxiway a, the ASR-9 (dtwa) receives the transponder which departs the aircraft, then data block goes into 'coast' list sometimes timing out of system. This prevents automatic-acquire for departure and prevents automatic-handoff to ZOB. Callback conversation with reporter acn 541796 revealed the following information: some loss of data has occurred due to aircraft taxiing near the ASR-9 site. He said that although the ASR-9 site is west of the new runway 22R, the close proximity to taxiing aircraft causes data to drop from the controller's list resulting in a departure not tagging up after takeoff. He said he was not aware of and not familiar with any new equipment being used by the airlines. He said the facility has not provided any briefings on the new equipment and has not seen anything posted in the reading binder on the subject. Callback conversation with reporter acn 541905 revealed the following information: reporter stated the ARTS problem started approximately in mar/2002. He said it was first noticed when the airport was configured to land and depart on runways 27R&left. He stated these runways are rarely used except when required because of strong wind conditions. He also mentioned at least 2 ucr's have been filed by controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOME ACR ACFT AT DTW ARE BEING INSTRUCTED BY COMPANY RAMP CTL TO TAXI WITH THEIR XPONDERS ON.

Narrative: LOSS OF ARTS DATA AT ATC APCH CTL FACILITY. UPON COMPLETION OF THE NEW TERMINAL AT DTW, TAXI RTES HAVE CHANGED ALLOWING ACFT TO TAXI FOR DEP IN CLOSE PROX TO THE ASR-9 RADAR. ACR HAS CTL OF THE RAMP AREA, AND IS USING XPONDER CODES TO KEEP TRACK OF ACFT. THE PROB ARISES THAT THESE ACFT WILL BE PICKED UP BY THE ASR-9, A DEP MESSAGE IS GENERATED AND THE ARTS TAG WILL ACQUIRE. SINCE THE ACFT DOESN'T DEPART (IT IS TAXIING OVER 2 MI TO THE RWY), THE ARTS TAG GOES TO THE CTLR'S COAST LIST. IF IT ISN'T NOTICED, IT WILL DROP OUT OF COAST AND BE LOST. THUS, WHEN THE ACFT ACTUALLY DEPARTS, THE CTLR IS LEFT WITHOUT THE ARTS DATA. THIS INCREASES THE WORKLOAD TO UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS. ALSO, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE CTLR'S ATTN IS DIVERTED FROM SEPARATING TFC TO DEALING WITH THIS SIT. IF YOU ARE BUSY WITH TFC AND YOU HAVE 2 OF THESE BACK-TO-BACK, IT CAUSES ENOUGH DISTR THAT DEPS SHOULD BE STOPPED UNTIL YOU HAVE THE APPROPRIATE DATA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541905: ACFT TAXIING FOR DEP WHEN DTW IS ON RWYS 27R&L WILL SOMETIMES ARTS ACQUIRE ON THE GND. IF THIS IS NOT CAUGHT BY THE DEP CTLR, THE TAG WILL GO INTO THE COAST TAB THEN DROP OUT OF THE SYS. SO WHEN YOU GET BUSY YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY TAG NUMEROUS DEPS AND DO MANUAL HDOFS TO THE CTR. THIS IS BEING DONE WHILE PROVIDING RADAR SEPARATION TO ALL THE OTHER ACFT ON YOUR FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541906: D21/DTW ARRIVING ON RWY 27L/R AND DEPARTING RWY 22R DUE TO HIGH WINDS. DEPARTING ACFT WERE TAXIING VIA TXWY Q AND TXWY A FOR RWY 22R. DURING THIS TIME, THE DEPARTING ACFT TAXIED WITH XPONDER 'ON.' DURING THIS GND TIME, ON TXWY Q TO TXWY A, THE ASR-9 (DTWA) RECEIVES THE XPONDER WHICH DEPARTS THE ACFT, THEN DATA BLOCK GOES INTO 'COAST' LIST SOMETIMES TIMING OUT OF SYS. THIS PREVENTS AUTO-ACQUIRE FOR DEP AND PREVENTS AUTO-HDOF TO ZOB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 541796 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SOME LOSS OF DATA HAS OCCURRED DUE TO ACFT TAXIING NEAR THE ASR-9 SITE. HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE ASR-9 SITE IS W OF THE NEW RWY 22R, THE CLOSE PROX TO TAXIING ACFT CAUSES DATA TO DROP FROM THE CTLR'S LIST RESULTING IN A DEP NOT TAGGING UP AFTER TKOF. HE SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF AND NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANY NEW EQUIP BEING USED BY THE AIRLINES. HE SAID THE FACILITY HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY BRIEFINGS ON THE NEW EQUIP AND HAS NOT SEEN ANYTHING POSTED IN THE READING BINDER ON THE SUBJECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 541905 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE ARTS PROB STARTED APPROX IN MAR/2002. HE SAID IT WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN THE ARPT WAS CONFIGURED TO LAND AND DEPART ON RWYS 27R&L. HE STATED THESE RWYS ARE RARELY USED EXCEPT WHEN REQUIRED BECAUSE OF STRONG WIND CONDITIONS. HE ALSO MENTIONED AT LEAST 2 UCR'S HAVE BEEN FILED BY CTLRS.

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.