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P31 controller loses radar contact with GA aircraft in known area for loss of radar contact. Reporter aware of internal FAA alerts indenting this recurrent problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 575483 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200303 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : p31.tracon |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| 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 | 575483 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Maintenance Human Performance Navigational Facility |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | radar equipment : p31.tracon |
Narrative:
I took a radar handoff from cairns approach control on aircraft X at 5000 ft MSL, landing destin, fl. At the nse 055 degree radial at 30 mi, the primary and secondary returns on the aircraft disappeared. They reappeared intermittently until the aircraft was at the nse 097 degree radial at 30 mi, when the tag re-acquired permanently. There is a blind spot of poor radar coverage on the eastern side of the whiting ASR-8 radar antenna, causing radar tags to drop constantly, which creates an unsafe condition for aircraft flying in that area. The poor coverage problem has been previously reported to the FAA on the unsafe condition report, but never remedied. This problem will be somewhat mitigated when pensacola TRACON gets a radar feed from the eglin's ASR-11 radar antenna, but until that happens this situation will be dangerous.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: P31 CTLR LOSES RADAR CONTACT WITH GA ACFT IN KNOWN AREA FOR LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT. RPTR AWARE OF INTERNAL FAA ALERTS INDENTING THIS RECURRENT PROB.
Narrative: I TOOK A RADAR HDOF FROM CAIRNS APCH CTL ON ACFT X AT 5000 FT MSL, LNDG DESTIN, FL. AT THE NSE 055 DEG RADIAL AT 30 MI, THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RETURNS ON THE ACFT DISAPPEARED. THEY REAPPEARED INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL THE ACFT WAS AT THE NSE 097 DEG RADIAL AT 30 MI, WHEN THE TAG RE-ACQUIRED PERMANENTLY. THERE IS A BLIND SPOT OF POOR RADAR COVERAGE ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE WHITING ASR-8 RADAR ANTENNA, CAUSING RADAR TAGS TO DROP CONSTANTLY, WHICH CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION FOR ACFT FLYING IN THAT AREA. THE POOR COVERAGE PROB HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY RPTED TO THE FAA ON THE UNSAFE CONDITION RPT, BUT NEVER REMEDIED. THIS PROB WILL BE SOMEWHAT MITIGATED WHEN PENSACOLA TRACON GETS A RADAR FEED FROM THE EGLIN'S ASR-11 RADAR ANTENNA, BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS THIS SIT WILL BE DANGEROUS.
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.