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Controller reports that the aural warnings associated with the mearts radar equipment which provides conflict alerts and MSAW alarms failed. The controller work station was restarted which restored the system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 709541 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200609 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| 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 |
| ASRS Report | 709541 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Navigational Facility |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | radar equipment : hcf.tracon |
Narrative:
This is a follow-on to a report mailed last week. The day after the incident mentioned in the previous report; I sat down at sector 4 again. The system status box on the mearts work station was minimized and gray; indicating no alarm status. Partly on impulse and partly due to the preceding day's event; I opened the system status box; and was very surprised to see the audio functions indicating 'down;' in bright red letters. I closed the system status box; and the minimized box remained gray. I notified the mearts technician; who was on the floor anyway doing his evening checks (which would have caught this situation if I hadn't) and the workstation was restarted; restoring the conflict alert and MSAW audible warnings. I am very concerned that some sort of random failure occurs which cuts off the audible alerts for conflict alert and MSAW; and that this failure; while detected by the system; is apparently not always presented to the controller via a visible alert. I recommend that all controllers using mearts work stations routinely check the system status box by actually opening it and observing there are no red items; not relying on the minimized box changing colors to alert them to a problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR RPTS THAT THE AURAL WARNINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEARTS RADAR EQUIP WHICH PROVIDES CONFLICT ALERTS AND MSAW ALARMS FAILED. THE CTLR WORK STATION WAS RESTARTED WHICH RESTORED THE SYS.
Narrative: THIS IS A FOLLOW-ON TO A RPT MAILED LAST WK. THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS RPT; I SAT DOWN AT SECTOR 4 AGAIN. THE SYS STATUS BOX ON THE MEARTS WORK STATION WAS MINIMIZED AND GRAY; INDICATING NO ALARM STATUS. PARTLY ON IMPULSE AND PARTLY DUE TO THE PRECEDING DAY'S EVENT; I OPENED THE SYS STATUS BOX; AND WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE AUDIO FUNCTIONS INDICATING 'DOWN;' IN BRIGHT RED LETTERS. I CLOSED THE SYS STATUS BOX; AND THE MINIMIZED BOX REMAINED GRAY. I NOTIFIED THE MEARTS TECHNICIAN; WHO WAS ON THE FLOOR ANYWAY DOING HIS EVENING CHKS (WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS SITUATION IF I HADN'T) AND THE WORKSTATION WAS RESTARTED; RESTORING THE CONFLICT ALERT AND MSAW AUDIBLE WARNINGS. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT SOME SORT OF RANDOM FAILURE OCCURS WHICH CUTS OFF THE AUDIBLE ALERTS FOR CONFLICT ALERT AND MSAW; AND THAT THIS FAILURE; WHILE DETECTED BY THE SYS; IS APPARENTLY NOT ALWAYS PRESENTED TO THE CTLR VIA A VISIBLE ALERT. I RECOMMEND THAT ALL CTLRS USING MEARTS WORK STATIONS ROUTINELY CHK THE SYS STATUS BOX BY ACTUALLY OPENING IT AND OBSERVING THERE ARE NO RED ITEMS; NOT RELYING ON THE MINIMIZED BOX CHANGING COLORS TO ALERT THEM TO A PROB.
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.