Controller at hcf reports that the aural conflict alert and MSAW warning on the mearts equipment is ...

Attributes
ACN	709107
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hcf.tracon
State Reference	HI
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 22 controller time certified in position1 : 9 flight time total : 350
ASRS Report	709107
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar (mearts) other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : hcf.tracon

Narrative:

I was working hcf sector 4; an en route radar sector southeast of hnl. I noticed the system status window; which was minimized; on my micro earts workstation had turned red; indicating an alarm condition. I opened the window and observed the alarm was on the workstation audio. I opened the audio window and using the test function; determined that there was no audio; and thus no audible alarms generated would have been heard. These audio alerts are generated by conflict alert and the MSA warning system. After reporting the situation to the supervisor; a technician responded; and from his comments I gathered this loss of audio alerts was occurring on this workstation from time to time. During a subsequent period of light traffic; the situation was at least temporarily resolved by restarting the workstation. A recurring failure of this sort with loss of audio alerting to conflict alert and MSAW could obviously be quite serious given the proper set of circumstances.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR AT HCF RPTS THAT THE AURAL CONFLICT ALERT AND MSAW WARNING ON THE MEARTS EQUIP IS INTERMITTENT AND FEELS THAT A RECURRING FAILURE COULD HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF THE CTLR CAN NOT HEAR THE ALARMS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING HCF SECTOR 4; AN ENRTE RADAR SECTOR SE OF HNL. I NOTICED THE SYS STATUS WINDOW; WHICH WAS MINIMIZED; ON MY MICRO EARTS WORKSTATION HAD TURNED RED; INDICATING AN ALARM CONDITION. I OPENED THE WINDOW AND OBSERVED THE ALARM WAS ON THE WORKSTATION AUDIO. I OPENED THE AUDIO WINDOW AND USING THE TEST FUNCTION; DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO AUDIO; AND THUS NO AUDIBLE ALARMS GENERATED WOULD HAVE BEEN HEARD. THESE AUDIO ALERTS ARE GENERATED BY CONFLICT ALERT AND THE MSA WARNING SYS. AFTER RPTING THE SITUATION TO THE SUPVR; A TECHNICIAN RESPONDED; AND FROM HIS COMMENTS I GATHERED THIS LOSS OF AUDIO ALERTS WAS OCCURRING ON THIS WORKSTATION FROM TIME TO TIME. DURING A SUBSEQUENT PERIOD OF LIGHT TFC; THE SITUATION WAS AT LEAST TEMPORARILY RESOLVED BY RESTARTING THE WORKSTATION. A RECURRING FAILURE OF THIS SORT WITH LOSS OF AUDIO ALERTING TO CONFLICT ALERT AND MSAW COULD OBVIOUSLY BE QUITE SERIOUS GIVEN THE PROPER SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.

Controller at hcf reports that the aural conflict alert and MSAW warning on the mearts equipment is intermittent and feels that a recurring failure could have serious consequences if the controller can not hear the alarms.