Narrative:

In may of 2003, the ASR-11 radar antenna was installed at west palm beach airport. Palm beach is one of the first of the ARTS ii-east/rads equipment facilities to receive the ASR-11. During spikes of increased traffic throughout the summer we noticed the ARTS data flickering on the radar displays. Throughout the summer, the pbi airways facilities technicians, along with help from the southern region and the AC technical center, worked to find what was causing this problem. In sep, it was determined that the number of targets generated ASR-11's digital feed could not be processed by the rads displays. At 170 targets the ARTS began to flicker on the scope. After performing tests, airways facilities discovered that at 220 targets the system would begin to fail and at 256 targets the system would go into complete failure. The solution to the problem would be to replace the rads (radar alphanumeric display sub-system) with the acd (ARTS color displays). Another solution would be to mask areas, but for safety reasons, this was not acceptable. In an effort to help resolve this problem, we at west palm beach have had to contact the local congressional offices. The FAA does not feel that there is a problem at west palm beach and has told those offices just that. With the start of the increased seasonal traffic period for west palm beach, we are concerned with the possibility of a full system failure during a heavy period of traffic. If an event occurs, it could seriously compromise safety for the flying public at west palm beach. The FAA headquarters, southern region offices, technical center in atlantic city and local congressional offices are all aware of the possibility of a radar failure at this facility. It is possible that the season could pass without an incident, however, the maintenance personnel at palm beach are confident that without changing the radar displays, there will be a system failure. One thing that has the controllers convinced that a problem does exist is that the FAA has moved to replace the rads with the stars early next summer. This is well ahead of the schedule installation of stars which were not to be in place until the new facility was finished sometime around 2009. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that local maintenance technicians and the atlanta tech center have basically run out of options. FAA southern region and FAA headquarters spokespersons have told effected congressional offices that waiting until next spring, when they will install stars equipment, is the resolution. The reporter alleges that replacing the rads equipment with acd (ARTS color display) was not practical due to unavailability of equipment. The reporter alleges that vertical 'masking' was not an option because a primary target would still be displayed if the ASR-11 tracks a radar target. The reporter alleges that vertical masking would eliminate approximately only 20% of ZMA tracked targets. The reporter alleges that cenrap is operational, but the ASR 8 system would have to be utilized, causing radar map and control position shifting and take unnecessary implementation time, thus delaying needed ATC service to the user. For this reason, the reporter advised it remains an option, but not expected to be utilized. The reporter is concerned with the approaching holiday season, when traffic is expected to increase dramatically.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PBI APCH CTLR CONCERNED WITH NEW ASR-11 RADAR ANTENNA REPLACEMENT INSTALLATION AND ASSOCIATED NEW ARTS II-E-RADS (RADAR ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY SUB-SYS) EQUIP OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY.

Narrative: IN MAY OF 2003, THE ASR-11 RADAR ANTENNA WAS INSTALLED AT WEST PALM BEACH ARPT. PALM BEACH IS ONE OF THE FIRST OF THE ARTS II-E/RADS EQUIP FACILITIES TO RECEIVE THE ASR-11. DURING SPIKES OF INCREASED TFC THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER WE NOTICED THE ARTS DATA FLICKERING ON THE RADAR DISPLAYS. THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, THE PBI AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS, ALONG WITH HELP FROM THE SOUTHERN REGION AND THE AC TECHNICAL CTR, WORKED TO FIND WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS PROB. IN SEP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NUMBER OF TARGETS GENERATED ASR-11'S DIGITAL FEED COULD NOT BE PROCESSED BY THE RADS DISPLAYS. AT 170 TARGETS THE ARTS BEGAN TO FLICKER ON THE SCOPE. AFTER PERFORMING TESTS, AIRWAYS FACILITIES DISCOVERED THAT AT 220 TARGETS THE SYS WOULD BEGIN TO FAIL AND AT 256 TARGETS THE SYS WOULD GO INTO COMPLETE FAILURE. THE SOLUTION TO THE PROB WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE RADS (RADAR ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY SUB-SYS) WITH THE ACD (ARTS COLOR DISPLAYS). ANOTHER SOLUTION WOULD BE TO MASK AREAS, BUT FOR SAFETY REASONS, THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IN AN EFFORT TO HELP RESOLVE THIS PROB, WE AT WEST PALM BEACH HAVE HAD TO CONTACT THE LCL CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES. THE FAA DOES NOT FEEL THAT THERE IS A PROB AT WEST PALM BEACH AND HAS TOLD THOSE OFFICES JUST THAT. WITH THE START OF THE INCREASED SEASONAL TFC PERIOD FOR WEST PALM BEACH, WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A FULL SYS FAILURE DURING A HVY PERIOD OF TFC. IF AN EVENT OCCURS, IT COULD SERIOUSLY COMPROMISE SAFETY FOR THE FLYING PUBLIC AT WEST PALM BEACH. THE FAA HEADQUARTERS, SOUTHERN REGION OFFICES, TECHNICAL CTR IN ATLANTIC CITY AND LCL CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES ARE ALL AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A RADAR FAILURE AT THIS FACILITY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SEASON COULD PASS WITHOUT AN INCIDENT, HOWEVER, THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT PALM BEACH ARE CONFIDENT THAT WITHOUT CHANGING THE RADAR DISPLAYS, THERE WILL BE A SYS FAILURE. ONE THING THAT HAS THE CTLRS CONVINCED THAT A PROB DOES EXIST IS THAT THE FAA HAS MOVED TO REPLACE THE RADS WITH THE STARS EARLY NEXT SUMMER. THIS IS WELL AHEAD OF THE SCHEDULE INSTALLATION OF STARS WHICH WERE NOT TO BE IN PLACE UNTIL THE NEW FACILITY WAS FINISHED SOMETIME AROUND 2009. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT LCL MAINT TECHNICIANS AND THE ATLANTA TECH CTR HAVE BASICALLY RUN OUT OF OPTIONS. FAA SOUTHERN REGION AND FAA HEADQUARTERS SPOKESPERSONS HAVE TOLD EFFECTED CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES THAT WAITING UNTIL NEXT SPRING, WHEN THEY WILL INSTALL STARS EQUIP, IS THE RESOLUTION. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT REPLACING THE RADS EQUIP WITH ACD (ARTS COLOR DISPLAY) WAS NOT PRACTICAL DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF EQUIP. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT VERT 'MASKING' WAS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE A PRIMARY TARGET WOULD STILL BE DISPLAYED IF THE ASR-11 TRACKS A RADAR TARGET. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT VERT MASKING WOULD ELIMINATE APPROX ONLY 20% OF ZMA TRACKED TARGETS. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT CENRAP IS OPERATIONAL, BUT THE ASR 8 SYS WOULD HAVE TO BE UTILIZED, CAUSING RADAR MAP AND CTL POS SHIFTING AND TAKE UNNECESSARY IMPLEMENTATION TIME, THUS DELAYING NEEDED ATC SVC TO THE USER. FOR THIS REASON, THE RPTR ADVISED IT REMAINS AN OPTION, BUT NOT EXPECTED TO BE UTILIZED. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED WITH THE APCHING HOLIDAY SEASON, WHEN TFC IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY.

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.