Narrative:

The qnm (newport) radar site has been taken OTS numerous times over the past yr. When this site is OTS; there is limited or no radar services available in the jackson; ms; vicinity. There are many military low altitude training rtes in this area. Some are IFR. Without this radar available; we cannot provide radar advisories and assistance. With the volume of VFR traffic; we cannot safely provide TA's into the training rtes. Due to non radar requirements; we must rerte IFR aircraft on lengthy flight plan amendments. We are usually working a radar sector with only 1 controller; instead of 2 controllers as the sectors were built to provide. We cannot offer expeditious handling of aircraft wishing a radar vector for approachs. There are no non-radar procedures established with adjacent facilities. Mcb (mccomb); ms; VOR has been OTS for over 1 month. There is no alternate MSA for the airways overflying mcb. Since there is no NAVAID and no radar between jackson and mccomb; we cannot safely allow an aircraft to fly on V9 or 1 of the 2 alternate airways between these navaids. The same applies to aircraft between mei (meridian); ms; and mcb. In another center we had post cards with alternate altitudes for the airways when any NAVAID was OTS. There is no such information at ZME. NAVAID and radar outages should not be overlapped unless they fail due to mechanical problems. The FAA needs to take an aggressive approach to provide a true redundant system in the event the primary system fails.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FREQUENT QNM RADAR OUTAGES RESULTING IN LIMITED ATC SVCS.

Narrative: THE QNM (NEWPORT) RADAR SITE HAS BEEN TAKEN OTS NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST YR. WHEN THIS SITE IS OTS; THERE IS LIMITED OR NO RADAR SVCS AVAILABLE IN THE JACKSON; MS; VICINITY. THERE ARE MANY MIL LOW ALT TRAINING RTES IN THIS AREA. SOME ARE IFR. WITHOUT THIS RADAR AVAILABLE; WE CANNOT PROVIDE RADAR ADVISORIES AND ASSISTANCE. WITH THE VOLUME OF VFR TFC; WE CANNOT SAFELY PROVIDE TA'S INTO THE TRAINING RTES. DUE TO NON RADAR REQUIREMENTS; WE MUST RERTE IFR ACFT ON LENGTHY FLT PLAN AMENDMENTS. WE ARE USUALLY WORKING A RADAR SECTOR WITH ONLY 1 CTLR; INSTEAD OF 2 CTLRS AS THE SECTORS WERE BUILT TO PROVIDE. WE CANNOT OFFER EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING OF ACFT WISHING A RADAR VECTOR FOR APCHS. THERE ARE NO NON-RADAR PROCS ESTABLISHED WITH ADJACENT FACILITIES. MCB (MCCOMB); MS; VOR HAS BEEN OTS FOR OVER 1 MONTH. THERE IS NO ALTERNATE MSA FOR THE AIRWAYS OVERFLYING MCB. SINCE THERE IS NO NAVAID AND NO RADAR BTWN JACKSON AND MCCOMB; WE CANNOT SAFELY ALLOW AN ACFT TO FLY ON V9 OR 1 OF THE 2 ALTERNATE AIRWAYS BTWN THESE NAVAIDS. THE SAME APPLIES TO ACFT BTWN MEI (MERIDIAN); MS; AND MCB. IN ANOTHER CENTER WE HAD POST CARDS WITH ALTERNATE ALTS FOR THE AIRWAYS WHEN ANY NAVAID WAS OTS. THERE IS NO SUCH INFO AT ZME. NAVAID AND RADAR OUTAGES SHOULD NOT BE OVERLAPPED UNLESS THEY FAIL DUE TO MECHANICAL PROBS. THE FAA NEEDS TO TAKE AN AGGRESSIVE APCH TO PROVIDE A TRUE REDUNDANT SYS IN THE EVENT THE PRIMARY SYS FAILS.

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.