Narrative:

Since jul/thu/06 the ASR-11 radar system at west palm beach; fl; has inaccurately displayed the WX returns within its coverage area. Nearly every afternoon in south florida there is convective WX that builds and moves through the airspace. Maintenance (airways facility) and the FAA were made aware of the situation when a ucr was filed in july. The problem had existed prior to the filing of the report. To date the problem has yet to be corrected. Within the past 2 weeks; a report was made to the government hotline and it was from that action that the manufacturer (raytheon) was finally made aware of the situation. The summer in south florida is extremely prone to convective conditions at any time during the day. Here at west palm beach the ATC controllers are unable to assist pilots with accurate reports on the level of precipitation displayed on the radar scopes. What is currently displayed could be a false representation that could be both hazardous and misleading to the pilots. It would be negligent on the part of the controllers to give a report to a pilot as to what is presently being displayed on the radar scopes at west palm beach. Supplemental information from acn 708659: the pbi ASR-11 WX radar has been logged OTS since jul/06. It was intermittently OTS for several months prior to july! This is prime thunderstorm season in florida and now hurricane season! We can not even tell pilots if it is raining or not let alone the intensity. This is one of the new ASR-11's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTS FROM 2 CTLRS AT PBI TWR TRACON CLAIM THAT THE ASR-11 RADAR HAS INACCURATE AND UNRELIABLE WX PRESENTATION.

Narrative: SINCE JUL/THU/06 THE ASR-11 RADAR SYS AT WEST PALM BEACH; FL; HAS INACCURATELY DISPLAYED THE WX RETURNS WITHIN ITS COVERAGE AREA. NEARLY EVERY AFTERNOON IN SOUTH FLORIDA THERE IS CONVECTIVE WX THAT BUILDS AND MOVES THROUGH THE AIRSPACE. MAINT (AIRWAYS FACILITY) AND THE FAA WERE MADE AWARE OF THE SITUATION WHEN A UCR WAS FILED IN JULY. THE PROB HAD EXISTED PRIOR TO THE FILING OF THE REPORT. TO DATE THE PROB HAS YET TO BE CORRECTED. WITHIN THE PAST 2 WKS; A RPT WAS MADE TO THE GOV HOTLINE AND IT WAS FROM THAT ACTION THAT THE MANUFACTURER (RAYTHEON) WAS FINALLY MADE AWARE OF THE SITUATION. THE SUMMER IN SOUTH FLORIDA IS EXTREMELY PRONE TO CONVECTIVE CONDITIONS AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY. HERE AT WEST PALM BEACH THE ATC CTLRS ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST PLTS WITH ACCURATE RPTS ON THE LEVEL OF PRECIP DISPLAYED ON THE RADAR SCOPES. WHAT IS CURRENTLY DISPLAYED COULD BE A FALSE REPRESENTATION THAT COULD BE BOTH HAZARDOUS AND MISLEADING TO THE PLTS. IT WOULD BE NEGLIGENT ON THE PART OF THE CTLRS TO GIVE A RPT TO A PLT AS TO WHAT IS PRESENTLY BEING DISPLAYED ON THE RADAR SCOPES AT WEST PALM BEACH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 708659: THE PBI ASR-11 WX RADAR HAS BEEN LOGGED OTS SINCE JUL/06. IT WAS INTERMITTENTLY OTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO JULY! THIS IS PRIME TSTM SEASON IN FLORIDA AND NOW HURRICANE SEASON! WE CAN NOT EVEN TELL PLTS IF IT IS RAINING OR NOT LET ALONE THE INTENSITY. THIS IS ONE OF THE NEW ASR-11'S.

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.