Narrative:

A320 taxing on runway 31L, in process of turning off. B767 on final for runway 31L. Amass alerted due to the traffic on the runway and sounded 'warning, go around, runway 13R occupied.' the alert was justified, but the amass issued the wrong runway. In the past, it has been found that when runways 31L&right are in use for arrival and departure, and those runways are selected as the operational confign for amass, the amass will sound the wrong runway if an alert sounds. As in the incident cited above, if an alert sounds due to a potential conflict between an aircraft taxiing on runway 31L and an arrival to the same runway, the amass alerts 'warning, go around, runway 13R occupied.' this will also occur on runway 31R, in which case the amass sounds an alert for runway 13L. The potential exists for confusion as to which runway is actually involved in the alert, delaying corrective action. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that problem turned out to be a software glitch that has been fixed. He said the equipment parameters are set by software and are not adjustable by the controller. The equipment uses asde (airport surface detection equipment) and ASR radar to detect. He also stated there are 2 speakers located in the tower where aural warnings can be heard and that the asde is located close to the local controller where targets can be observed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE ARPT MOVEMENT AREA SAFETY SYS (AMASS) AT JFK ALERTED FOR THE WRONG RWY.

Narrative: A320 TAXING ON RWY 31L, IN PROCESS OF TURNING OFF. B767 ON FINAL FOR RWY 31L. AMASS ALERTED DUE TO THE TFC ON THE RWY AND SOUNDED 'WARNING, GAR, RWY 13R OCCUPIED.' THE ALERT WAS JUSTIFIED, BUT THE AMASS ISSUED THE WRONG RWY. IN THE PAST, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT WHEN RWYS 31L&R ARE IN USE FOR ARR AND DEP, AND THOSE RWYS ARE SELECTED AS THE OPERATIONAL CONFIGN FOR AMASS, THE AMASS WILL SOUND THE WRONG RWY IF AN ALERT SOUNDS. AS IN THE INCIDENT CITED ABOVE, IF AN ALERT SOUNDS DUE TO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BTWN AN ACFT TAXIING ON RWY 31L AND AN ARR TO THE SAME RWY, THE AMASS ALERTS 'WARNING, GAR, RWY 13R OCCUPIED.' THIS WILL ALSO OCCUR ON RWY 31R, IN WHICH CASE THE AMASS SOUNDS AN ALERT FOR RWY 13L. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR CONFUSION AS TO WHICH RWY IS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THE ALERT, DELAYING CORRECTIVE ACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT PROB TURNED OUT TO BE A SOFTWARE GLITCH THAT HAS BEEN FIXED. HE SAID THE EQUIP PARAMETERS ARE SET BY SOFTWARE AND ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE BY THE CTLR. THE EQUIP USES ASDE (ARPT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIP) AND ASR RADAR TO DETECT. HE ALSO STATED THERE ARE 2 SPEAKERS LOCATED IN THE TWR WHERE AURAL WARNINGS CAN BE HEARD AND THAT THE ASDE IS LOCATED CLOSE TO THE LCL CTLR WHERE TARGETS CAN BE OBSERVED.

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.