Narrative:

Never has the need for redundancy been more apparent than this morning while working approachs into ord. Each arrival position for ord has an ILS monitor to let each controller know if the ILS is working properly. Very nice piece of equipment. For example; when the ILS is highlighted in yellow; that means there is a silenced alarm or a maintenance release and management must verify the availability of the ILS with maintenance control center. When the ILS is highlighted in yellow and the letters 'localizer' appear below the runway number; that means that the localizer is OTS. One of the main runways in use at ord is runway 22R. For approximately 2-3 months; the monitor for that ILS has been highlighted in and the letters 'localizer' have been shown under runway 22R; when in fact the ILS is fully operational. I questioned management about why the ILS monitor is incorrect; and was told that the interface between the new equipment and our existing monitoring equipment isn't communicating properly. Really! At approximately XA00; while vectoring runway 22R; I heard an alarm; followed by the complete loss of primary and secondary radar. The radar came back on line; when the aircraft I had on a 30 mi final to runway 22R advised the ILS OTS. My monitor for that runway never changed. I thought the alarm was for the obvious radar outage. I would have never known about the ILS problem if I hadn't had an aircraft on the final. As it turns out; runway 27L also went out; but the monitor correctly indicated that problem. The whole reason for redundancy is to make controllers immediately aware of equipment malfunctions. Having this problem for a day or two is one thing. Having this problem indefinitely is unsafe and unacceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE FAULTY ILS MONITOR SYS THAT SOMETIMES GIVES INCORRECT ILS OPERATING STATUS.

Narrative: NEVER HAS THE NEED FOR REDUNDANCY BEEN MORE APPARENT THAN THIS MORNING WHILE WORKING APCHS INTO ORD. EACH ARR POS FOR ORD HAS AN ILS MONITOR TO LET EACH CTLR KNOW IF THE ILS IS WORKING PROPERLY. VERY NICE PIECE OF EQUIP. FOR EXAMPLE; WHEN THE ILS IS HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW; THAT MEANS THERE IS A SILENCED ALARM OR A MAINT RELEASE AND MGMNT MUST VERIFY THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ILS WITH MAINT CTL CTR. WHEN THE ILS IS HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW AND THE LETTERS 'LOC' APPEAR BELOW THE RWY NUMBER; THAT MEANS THAT THE LOC IS OTS. ONE OF THE MAIN RWYS IN USE AT ORD IS RWY 22R. FOR APPROX 2-3 MONTHS; THE MONITOR FOR THAT ILS HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED IN AND THE LETTERS 'LOC' HAVE BEEN SHOWN UNDER RWY 22R; WHEN IN FACT THE ILS IS FULLY OPERATIONAL. I QUESTIONED MGMNT ABOUT WHY THE ILS MONITOR IS INCORRECT; AND WAS TOLD THAT THE INTERFACE BTWN THE NEW EQUIP AND OUR EXISTING MONITORING EQUIP ISN'T COMMUNICATING PROPERLY. REALLY! AT APPROX XA00; WHILE VECTORING RWY 22R; I HEARD AN ALARM; FOLLOWED BY THE COMPLETE LOSS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADAR. THE RADAR CAME BACK ON LINE; WHEN THE ACFT I HAD ON A 30 MI FINAL TO RWY 22R ADVISED THE ILS OTS. MY MONITOR FOR THAT RWY NEVER CHANGED. I THOUGHT THE ALARM WAS FOR THE OBVIOUS RADAR OUTAGE. I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT THE ILS PROB IF I HADN'T HAD AN ACFT ON THE FINAL. AS IT TURNS OUT; RWY 27L ALSO WENT OUT; BUT THE MONITOR CORRECTLY INDICATED THAT PROB. THE WHOLE REASON FOR REDUNDANCY IS TO MAKE CTLRS IMMEDIATELY AWARE OF EQUIP MALFUNCTIONS. HAVING THIS PROB FOR A DAY OR TWO IS ONE THING. HAVING THIS PROB INDEFINITELY IS UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE.

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.