Narrative:

The day of the occurrence was a busy VFR sunday. There was a lot of VFR traffic and several touch and go aircraft in the local controller's pattern. The problem was with 2 pieces of tower equipment: the ILS runway 21 monitor panel and the low level windshear alert system (LLWAS). These 2 pieces of equipment were malfunctioning at the same time. The LLWAS was reporting false windshear alerts almost constantly. The ILS runway 21 panel was in alarm almost continuously. The maintenance control center (mocc) was called to report the problems right away. After about 1 hour, I called them again to check the status. The operator had no knowledge of the previous report, so I had to give him the details once again. I explained that the equipment was in a constant state of alarm and that the tower cabin attendant was a highly distracting environment and that we had lots of traffic today. I explained that if the equipment could not be fixed, we at least needed the alarms shut off. The mocc operator told me that he would call us back. He did call back after about 15 mins to report that he had left messages on the answering machines. I believe he said that he made contact with the local af supervisor, but apparently the supervisor was not going to come in. On monday morning, the equipment was repaired. No one came in to secure the alarms as requested. I personally saw the local controller distracted several times due to the nuisance alarms. He was able to work around the distraction, but clearly, it was adding to his stress level. I feel the callback system for technicians is unacceptable. The mocc operator even admitted that it was almost impossible to get someone on a weekend. I don't know what the solution is, but the system is broken and safety was compromised because of alarms that caused distractions in a busy tower cabin attendant. It seems that the complaint was trivialized as the equipment was not essential, the distractions from the alarms were however, the real problem. If an accident or incident would have happened, surely these alarms could have been a contributing factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MSN TWR CAB CTLRS DISTR BY ILS AND LLWAS EQUIP IN CONSTANT ALARM ON A BUSY WKEND DAY.

Narrative: THE DAY OF THE OCCURRENCE WAS A BUSY VFR SUNDAY. THERE WAS A LOT OF VFR TFC AND SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO ACFT IN THE LCL CTLR'S PATTERN. THE PROB WAS WITH 2 PIECES OF TWR EQUIP: THE ILS RWY 21 MONITOR PANEL AND THE LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR ALERT SYS (LLWAS). THESE 2 PIECES OF EQUIP WERE MALFUNCTIONING AT THE SAME TIME. THE LLWAS WAS RPTING FALSE WINDSHEAR ALERTS ALMOST CONSTANTLY. THE ILS RWY 21 PANEL WAS IN ALARM ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. THE MAINT CTL CTR (MOCC) WAS CALLED TO RPT THE PROBS RIGHT AWAY. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR, I CALLED THEM AGAIN TO CHK THE STATUS. THE OPERATOR HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PREVIOUS RPT, SO I HAD TO GIVE HIM THE DETAILS ONCE AGAIN. I EXPLAINED THAT THE EQUIP WAS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF ALARM AND THAT THE TWR CAB WAS A HIGHLY DISTRACTING ENVIRONMENT AND THAT WE HAD LOTS OF TFC TODAY. I EXPLAINED THAT IF THE EQUIP COULD NOT BE FIXED, WE AT LEAST NEEDED THE ALARMS SHUT OFF. THE MOCC OPERATOR TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD CALL US BACK. HE DID CALL BACK AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS TO RPT THAT HE HAD LEFT MESSAGES ON THE ANSWERING MACHINES. I BELIEVE HE SAID THAT HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE LCL AF SUPVR, BUT APPARENTLY THE SUPVR WAS NOT GOING TO COME IN. ON MONDAY MORNING, THE EQUIP WAS REPAIRED. NO ONE CAME IN TO SECURE THE ALARMS AS REQUESTED. I PERSONALLY SAW THE LCL CTLR DISTRACTED SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE NUISANCE ALARMS. HE WAS ABLE TO WORK AROUND THE DISTR, BUT CLRLY, IT WAS ADDING TO HIS STRESS LEVEL. I FEEL THE CALLBACK SYS FOR TECHNICIANS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE MOCC OPERATOR EVEN ADMITTED THAT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET SOMEONE ON A WEEKEND. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS, BUT THE SYS IS BROKEN AND SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED BECAUSE OF ALARMS THAT CAUSED DISTRACTIONS IN A BUSY TWR CAB. IT SEEMS THAT THE COMPLAINT WAS TRIVIALIZED AS THE EQUIP WAS NOT ESSENTIAL, THE DISTRACTIONS FROM THE ALARMS WERE HOWEVER, THE REAL PROB. IF AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, SURELY THESE ALARMS COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.