Narrative:

To explain it briefly, our beacon does not interrogate the kings 76 transponder. Thus, aircraft are not tagged appropriately. (Their beacon does not appear on the radar scope). The potential for an occurrence is great. An aircraft flying around as a primary target is easily forgotten. Numerous pilots have also taken their aircraft in for maintenance because we inform them of a problem. The problem is with the FAA's equipment, not the aircraft's. Something will happen sometime in the future unfortunately. As you can see in the documentation enclosed, this is a national problem. It is now closed, but it was not solved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised the facility received a memorandum from atx-400 stating that the controller ucr submitted identifying this problem, which was supported by mob facility management and the FAA southern regional office is 'closed'. The controller advised that the tracking problem continues two to four times a week, causing manual handoff requirements to ZHU, P31 and/or gulfport approach controls pending direction of flight and altitude. The controller advised of the constant potential that a dropped data block will be forgotten. The controller advised that dropped D/non-tracked data blocks default to a 'CST' list for approximately five mins, then are dropped from the controller's radar display. A few yrs ago, mob's ASR-7 was upgraded to an ASR-8, ARTS iie, direct processing/analog system. The controller thought that sav TRACON had a similar problem, but was unsure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOB APCH CTLR CONCERNED WITH RECURRING ASR-8 RADAR TRACKING PROBS WITHIN 15 MILES OF MOB ARPT, WITH KING KX76 TRANSPONDER EQUIPPED ACFT BEING BLOCKED BY THE ZHU CITRONELLE LONG RANGE RADAR SITE BEACON INTERROGATOR.

Narrative: TO EXPLAIN IT BRIEFLY, OUR BEACON DOES NOT INTERROGATE THE KINGS 76 TRANSPONDER. THUS, ACFT ARE NOT TAGGED APPROPRIATELY. (THEIR BEACON DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE RADAR SCOPE). THE POTENTIAL FOR AN OCCURRENCE IS GREAT. AN ACFT FLYING AROUND AS A PRIMARY TARGET IS EASILY FORGOTTEN. NUMEROUS PLTS HAVE ALSO TAKEN THEIR ACFT IN FOR MAINT BECAUSE WE INFORM THEM OF A PROB. THE PROB IS WITH THE FAA'S EQUIP, NOT THE ACFT'S. SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE UNFORTUNATELY. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE DOCUMENTATION ENCLOSED, THIS IS A NATIONAL PROB. IT IS NOW CLOSED, BUT IT WAS NOT SOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THE FAC RECEIVED A MEMORANDUM FROM ATX-400 STATING THAT THE CTLR UCR SUBMITTED IDENTIFYING THIS PROB, WHICH WAS SUPPORTED BY MOB FAC MGMNT AND THE FAA SOUTHERN REGIONAL OFFICE IS 'CLOSED'. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT THE TRACKING PROB CONTINUES TWO TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK, CAUSING MANUAL HDOF REQUIREMENTS TO ZHU, P31 AND/OR GULFPORT APCH CTLS PENDING DIRECTION OF FLT AND ALT. THE CTLR ADVISED OF THE CONSTANT POTENTIAL THAT A DROPPED DATA BLOCK WILL BE FORGOTTEN. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT DROPPED D/NON-TRACKED DATA BLOCKS DEFAULT TO A 'CST' LIST FOR APPROX FIVE MINS, THEN ARE DROPPED FROM THE CTLR'S RADAR DISPLAY. A FEW YRS AGO, MOB'S ASR-7 WAS UPGRADED TO AN ASR-8, ARTS IIE, DIRECT PROCESSING/ANALOG SYS. THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT SAV TRACON HAD A SIMILAR PROB, BUT WAS UNSURE.

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.