Narrative:

Pensacola approach control (P31) assumes eglin air force base airspace on late night shifts, holidays, and weekends, due to reduced military controller staffing. Despite assurances from the far that this arrangement was temporary, or that additional equipment would be installed to allow P31 to effectively work the airspace, no equipment upgrades have occurred. Pensacola approach is working the eglin airspace with equipment designed to work the pensacola terminal airspace. The radar coverage does not effectively extend to cover the fort walton beach terminal area. Here are 2 instances where IFR aircraft were not recognized by the radar ARTS equipment until they were climbing out of 5000 ft, clearly unacceptable equipment performance. 1) SR22 departed destin airport eastbound climbing to 10000 ft. At no point was any secondary radar information received or processed or displayed by the radar or ARTS computer. The information was processed by ZJX's computers, which rules out an equipment problem aboard the aircraft. 2) LJ25 departed destin airport northbound climbing to 10000 ft. No radar data was processed or displayed until the aircraft was at the nse 120038 climbing out of 5500 ft. These are 2 instances of poor radar performance that were brought to my attention to report. Similar coverage problems are evident during most of the periods in which pensacola TRACON has that airspace. The problem could be addressed relatively inexpensively with the installation of a radar feed from the eglin radar antenna, so that eglin's radar coverage could be displayed in pensacola approach control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the radar coverage for the eglin area is very poor. He said P31 has 2 ASR-8 radar sites. One is located at pns airport and one at whiting airport approximately 17 mi north of pns. The eglin ASR-11 is approximately 30 mi east of pns. He said a possible solution would be to connect the ASR-11 to the ASR-8 via landline. A problem exists with compatibility between the ASR-8 to ASR-11. There are also political and funding issues. The reporter also said the area was slated for stars between the yrs 2005 and 2007.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENSACOLA APCH CTL (P31) CTLRS ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THEIR RADAR COVERAGE OF THE EGLIN AFB AREA IS VERY POOR.

Narrative: PENSACOLA APCH CTL (P31) ASSUMES EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE AIRSPACE ON LATE NIGHT SHIFTS, HOLIDAYS, AND WEEKENDS, DUE TO REDUCED MIL CTLR STAFFING. DESPITE ASSURANCES FROM THE FAR THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT WAS TEMPORARY, OR THAT ADDITIONAL EQUIP WOULD BE INSTALLED TO ALLOW P31 TO EFFECTIVELY WORK THE AIRSPACE, NO EQUIP UPGRADES HAVE OCCURRED. PENSACOLA APCH IS WORKING THE EGLIN AIRSPACE WITH EQUIP DESIGNED TO WORK THE PENSACOLA TERMINAL AIRSPACE. THE RADAR COVERAGE DOES NOT EFFECTIVELY EXTEND TO COVER THE FORT WALTON BEACH TERMINAL AREA. HERE ARE 2 INSTANCES WHERE IFR ACFT WERE NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE RADAR ARTS EQUIP UNTIL THEY WERE CLBING OUT OF 5000 FT, CLRLY UNACCEPTABLE EQUIP PERFORMANCE. 1) SR22 DEPARTED DESTIN ARPT EBOUND CLBING TO 10000 FT. AT NO POINT WAS ANY SECONDARY RADAR INFO RECEIVED OR PROCESSED OR DISPLAYED BY THE RADAR OR ARTS COMPUTER. THE INFO WAS PROCESSED BY ZJX'S COMPUTERS, WHICH RULES OUT AN EQUIP PROB ABOARD THE ACFT. 2) LJ25 DEPARTED DESTIN ARPT NBOUND CLBING TO 10000 FT. NO RADAR DATA WAS PROCESSED OR DISPLAYED UNTIL THE ACFT WAS AT THE NSE 120038 CLBING OUT OF 5500 FT. THESE ARE 2 INSTANCES OF POOR RADAR PERFORMANCE THAT WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTN TO RPT. SIMILAR COVERAGE PROBS ARE EVIDENT DURING MOST OF THE PERIODS IN WHICH PENSACOLA TRACON HAS THAT AIRSPACE. THE PROB COULD BE ADDRESSED RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVELY WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A RADAR FEED FROM THE EGLIN RADAR ANTENNA, SO THAT EGLIN'S RADAR COVERAGE COULD BE DISPLAYED IN PENSACOLA APCH CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE RADAR COVERAGE FOR THE EGLIN AREA IS VERY POOR. HE SAID P31 HAS 2 ASR-8 RADAR SITES. ONE IS LOCATED AT PNS ARPT AND ONE AT WHITING ARPT APPROX 17 MI N OF PNS. THE EGLIN ASR-11 IS APPROX 30 MI E OF PNS. HE SAID A POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO CONNECT THE ASR-11 TO THE ASR-8 VIA LANDLINE. A PROB EXISTS WITH COMPATIBILITY BTWN THE ASR-8 TO ASR-11. THERE ARE ALSO POLITICAL AND FUNDING ISSUES. THE RPTR ALSO SAID THE AREA WAS SLATED FOR STARS BTWN THE YRS 2005 AND 2007.

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.