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P31 controller spokesman concerned with known hole in radar coverage between the nse 063 degree radial 34 DME, and nse 103 degree radial 30 DME, when radar contact was lost with an SR20 GA aircraft at 4000 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 575430 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200302 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : nse.tacan |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p80.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 3 controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 11 controller time certified in position1 : 3 controller time certified in position2 : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 575430 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance FAA ATC Human Performance Navigational Facility |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : p31.tracon |
Narrative:
Ozr manually handed off an SR20/G 20 mi northeast of cew VOR (nse 063 degree radial at 34 DME) at 4000 ft landing destin, fl. A manual handoff was necessitated because the nse ASR-8 radar antenna was not displaying primary or secondary radar returns on the aircraft. The pns ASR-8 radar antenna, 15 mi further from the aircraft, was displaying both primary and secondary returns accurately. The nse radar antenna began tracking aircraft at the nse 103 degree radial 30 DME, at 3000 ft MSL. This gap in radar coverage is persistent and present at higher altitudes. Separating IFR aircraft without proper radar coverage is time consuming and distracting, which presents a hazard to the aircraft not being tracked and any other aircraft being separated by that sector controller. P31 TRACON is tentatively scheduled to receive a radar presentation feed from eglin's ASR-11 feed in jun/03. Installation of this feed should mitigate some, if not all, of the radar coverage issues P31 encounters when it must assume control of eglin's airspace on midnight shifts and wkends. This equipment must stay on schedule and remain budgeted to alleviate safety concerns in the fort walton beach terminal area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: P31 CTLR SPOKESMAN CONCERNED WITH KNOWN HOLE IN RADAR COVERAGE BTWN THE NSE 063 DEG RADIAL 34 DME, AND NSE 103 DEG RADIAL 30 DME, WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST WITH AN SR20 GA ACFT AT 4000 FT.
Narrative: OZR MANUALLY HANDED OFF AN SR20/G 20 MI NE OF CEW VOR (NSE 063 DEG RADIAL AT 34 DME) AT 4000 FT LNDG DESTIN, FL. A MANUAL HDOF WAS NECESSITATED BECAUSE THE NSE ASR-8 RADAR ANTENNA WAS NOT DISPLAYING PRIMARY OR SECONDARY RADAR RETURNS ON THE ACFT. THE PNS ASR-8 RADAR ANTENNA, 15 MI FURTHER FROM THE ACFT, WAS DISPLAYING BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RETURNS ACCURATELY. THE NSE RADAR ANTENNA BEGAN TRACKING ACFT AT THE NSE 103 DEG RADIAL 30 DME, AT 3000 FT MSL. THIS GAP IN RADAR COVERAGE IS PERSISTENT AND PRESENT AT HIGHER ALTS. SEPARATING IFR ACFT WITHOUT PROPER RADAR COVERAGE IS TIME CONSUMING AND DISTRACTING, WHICH PRESENTS A HAZARD TO THE ACFT NOT BEING TRACKED AND ANY OTHER ACFT BEING SEPARATED BY THAT SECTOR CTLR. P31 TRACON IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE A RADAR PRESENTATION FEED FROM EGLIN'S ASR-11 FEED IN JUN/03. INSTALLATION OF THIS FEED SHOULD MITIGATE SOME, IF NOT ALL, OF THE RADAR COVERAGE ISSUES P31 ENCOUNTERS WHEN IT MUST ASSUME CTL OF EGLIN'S AIRSPACE ON MIDNIGHT SHIFTS AND WKENDS. THIS EQUIP MUST STAY ON SCHEDULE AND REMAIN BUDGETED TO ALLEVIATE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE FORT WALTON BEACH TERMINAL AREA.
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.