Narrative:

Azo's beacon system shows ghost beacon targets. Azo's beacon system reflects a second beacon target on the other side of our radar screen. This is a safety issue. This distracts a controller from priorities because this target becomes the priority. Controllers have to research the target to find out if it is real or not and they also have to issue it as traffic to aircraft in the vicinity. Controllers issue the false beacon traffic to pilots. The targets pop up at any time therefore traffic is given in close proximity which might intimidate a pilot and cause them to panic or distract them from more important priorities like flying their aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the ghost/false target problem has been continuous 'for years' without resolution. Maintenance and automation specialists are aware of the problem, but 'are unable to fix' the problem. The target is displayed as an automation generated primary target splat. The reporter states that the ghost target moves at a slightly faster track speed than the 'normal' tracked target.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AZO CTLR CONCERNED WITH ARS-8 ARTS II E GHOST FALSE BEACON TARGET GENERATION.

Narrative: AZO'S BEACON SYS SHOWS GHOST BEACON TARGETS. AZO'S BEACON SYS REFLECTS A SECOND BEACON TARGET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR RADAR SCREEN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS DISTRACTS A CTLR FROM PRIORITIES BECAUSE THIS TARGET BECOMES THE PRIORITY. CTLRS HAVE TO RESEARCH THE TARGET TO FIND OUT IF IT IS REAL OR NOT AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO ISSUE IT AS TFC TO ACFT IN THE VICINITY. CTLRS ISSUE THE FALSE BEACON TFC TO PLTS. THE TARGETS POP UP AT ANY TIME THEREFORE TFC IS GIVEN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WHICH MIGHT INTIMIDATE A PLT AND CAUSE THEM TO PANIC OR DISTRACT THEM FROM MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITIES LIKE FLYING THEIR ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE GHOST/FALSE TARGET PROB HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS 'FOR YEARS' WITHOUT RESOLUTION. MAINT AND AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS ARE AWARE OF THE PROB, BUT 'ARE UNABLE TO FIX' THE PROB. THE TARGET IS DISPLAYED AS AN AUTOMATION GENERATED PRIMARY TARGET SPLAT. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE GHOST TARGET MOVES AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER TRACK SPEED THAN THE 'NORMAL' TRACKED TARGET.

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.