Narrative:

I was working at tampa's south satellite sector. I noticed when I came on duty at XA00 that a system failure was noted on the stars system area indicating that srq radar has a 'problem.' the front line mgrs have noted in the past that the srq indicated in 'red' in the system area means that something is 'wrong' with the srq radar. I have been told that if the system alert is serious that the front line mgrs would advise the controller working that sector. So we all ignore the red alert in the system area. The WX today was IFR at srq. The XI00Z reported WX for srq was 18006 1 3/4 RA broken 003 broken 013 overcast 018. At approximately XI42Z; while vectoring 2 aircraft to the ILS to runway 14; I noticed something odd. After checking my stars display; I realized that I had no radar or beacon returns on my display. My aircraft were being tracked digitally. I immediately called the on duty front line manager and asked him if the 'red' srq displayed on my system area meant anything significant today. He stated 'no' he was not showing anything unusual about the srq radar system. I then informed him that I had no radar or beacon on my display from the srq radar. The front line manager came over to my display and he watched as I switched back and forth from the srq radar to the tpa radar. Tpa radar displayed perfectly. Srq radar and beacon were OTS. A radar technician also came by and observed the outage. After about 15 mins the radar and beacon returned. Should there be an alarm or some sort of notification to the controller at the sector or to the front line manager that a radar and beacon failed? I need to know these things as a controller immediately. Not to observe 'something odd' about my display and have to decipher the problem. This is a serious safety issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TPA TRACON CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE APPARENT LACK OF ALERT DEVICES ON THE STARS SYS INDICATING RADAR BEACON FAILURES.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AT TAMPA'S S SATELLITE SECTOR. I NOTICED WHEN I CAME ON DUTY AT XA00 THAT A SYS FAILURE WAS NOTED ON THE STARS SYS AREA INDICATING THAT SRQ RADAR HAS A 'PROB.' THE FRONT LINE MGRS HAVE NOTED IN THE PAST THAT THE SRQ INDICATED IN 'RED' IN THE SYS AREA MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS 'WRONG' WITH THE SRQ RADAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IF THE SYS ALERT IS SERIOUS THAT THE FRONT LINE MGRS WOULD ADVISE THE CTLR WORKING THAT SECTOR. SO WE ALL IGNORE THE RED ALERT IN THE SYS AREA. THE WX TODAY WAS IFR AT SRQ. THE XI00Z RPTED WX FOR SRQ WAS 18006 1 3/4 RA BROKEN 003 BROKEN 013 OVCST 018. AT APPROX XI42Z; WHILE VECTORING 2 ACFT TO THE ILS TO RWY 14; I NOTICED SOMETHING ODD. AFTER CHKING MY STARS DISPLAY; I REALIZED THAT I HAD NO RADAR OR BEACON RETURNS ON MY DISPLAY. MY ACFT WERE BEING TRACKED DIGITALLY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE ON DUTY FRONT LINE MGR AND ASKED HIM IF THE 'RED' SRQ DISPLAYED ON MY SYS AREA MEANT ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT TODAY. HE STATED 'NO' HE WAS NOT SHOWING ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE SRQ RADAR SYS. I THEN INFORMED HIM THAT I HAD NO RADAR OR BEACON ON MY DISPLAY FROM THE SRQ RADAR. THE FRONT LINE MGR CAME OVER TO MY DISPLAY AND HE WATCHED AS I SWITCHED BACK AND FORTH FROM THE SRQ RADAR TO THE TPA RADAR. TPA RADAR DISPLAYED PERFECTLY. SRQ RADAR AND BEACON WERE OTS. A RADAR TECHNICIAN ALSO CAME BY AND OBSERVED THE OUTAGE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS THE RADAR AND BEACON RETURNED. SHOULD THERE BE AN ALARM OR SOME SORT OF NOTIFICATION TO THE CTLR AT THE SECTOR OR TO THE FRONT LINE MGR THAT A RADAR AND BEACON FAILED? I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS AS A CTLR IMMEDIATELY. NOT TO OBSERVE 'SOMETHING ODD' ABOUT MY DISPLAY AND HAVE TO DECIPHER THE PROB. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

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.