Approach controller reports use of long range radar at pct TRACON is unsatisfactory as 2 data blocks...

Attributes
ACN	692006
Time
Date	200603
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pct.tracon
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Citation X
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	692006
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : pct.tracon

Narrative:

The buffer sector now remains in the chesapeake area (chp) of potomac TRACON (pct); rather than go to the shenandoah (sha) area. In order for the chp area to work the airspace; the procedure is to operate on long range radar. Normally; the chesapeake area uses baltimore radar and the shenandoah area uses dulles radar. I worked the shift and found serious problems with using long range radar as well as automation glitches. Aircraft X and aircraft Y either did not hand off properly or the ARTS tag would mysteriously drop off. This presents an unsafe situation when automation unexplainably fails. Although I made these concerns known to the supervisor and the automation specialist; similar problems still exist. I propose the immediate suspension of using long range radar on the shifts and the return of the buffer sector to the sha area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR RPTS USE OF LONG RANGE RADAR AT PCT TRACON IS UNSATISFACTORY AS 2 DATA BLOCKS WERE NOT PROCESSED PROPERLY BY THE ARTS COMPUTER.

Narrative: THE BUFFER SECTOR NOW REMAINS IN THE CHESAPEAKE AREA (CHP) OF POTOMAC TRACON (PCT); RATHER THAN GO TO THE SHENANDOAH (SHA) AREA. IN ORDER FOR THE CHP AREA TO WORK THE AIRSPACE; THE PROC IS TO OPERATE ON LONG RANGE RADAR. NORMALLY; THE CHESAPEAKE AREA USES BALTIMORE RADAR AND THE SHENANDOAH AREA USES DULLES RADAR. I WORKED THE SHIFT AND FOUND SERIOUS PROBS WITH USING LONG RANGE RADAR AS WELL AS AUTOMATION GLITCHES. ACFT X AND ACFT Y EITHER DID NOT HAND OFF PROPERLY OR THE ARTS TAG WOULD MYSTERIOUSLY DROP OFF. THIS PRESENTS AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHEN AUTOMATION UNEXPLAINABLY FAILS. ALTHOUGH I MADE THESE CONCERNS KNOWN TO THE SUPVR AND THE AUTOMATION SPECIALIST; SIMILAR PROBS STILL EXIST. I PROPOSE THE IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF USING LONG RANGE RADAR ON THE SHIFTS AND THE RETURN OF THE BUFFER SECTOR TO THE SHA AREA.

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.

Approach controller reports use of long range radar at pct TRACON is unsatisfactory as 2 data blocks were not processed properly by the ARTS computer.