Narrative:

When arrs land; their tags (call signs) are supposed to go into a list on the tower controller's screen. With the stars system we have; the tags will sometimes jump onto false targets just before they land. These targets are often just to the left or right of the approach end of the runway and the computer will no longer recognize the aircraft as arrs. The result of this is that the tag will drop into the approach controller's coast list instead of the tower controller's list; and the tower controller has lost this useful information. Although we now have ground radar which retains the call signs of aircraft that land; this is still a potentially confusing situation; and is a malfunction of the stars system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL TWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING STARS EQUIP FAILURE TO PROPERLY DISPLAY ARR DATA TAGS AND PROPERLY PLACE THEM INTO LISTS.

Narrative: WHEN ARRS LAND; THEIR TAGS (CALL SIGNS) ARE SUPPOSED TO GO INTO A LIST ON THE TWR CTLR'S SCREEN. WITH THE STARS SYS WE HAVE; THE TAGS WILL SOMETIMES JUMP ONTO FALSE TARGETS JUST BEFORE THEY LAND. THESE TARGETS ARE OFTEN JUST TO THE L OR R OF THE APCH END OF THE RWY AND THE COMPUTER WILL NO LONGER RECOGNIZE THE ACFT AS ARRS. THE RESULT OF THIS IS THAT THE TAG WILL DROP INTO THE APCH CTLR'S COAST LIST INSTEAD OF THE TWR CTLR'S LIST; AND THE TWR CTLR HAS LOST THIS USEFUL INFO. ALTHOUGH WE NOW HAVE GND RADAR WHICH RETAINS THE CALL SIGNS OF ACFT THAT LAND; THIS IS STILL A POTENTIALLY CONFUSING SITUATION; AND IS A MALFUNCTION OF THE STARS SYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.