Narrative:

The same scenario from the previous night started again. The WX was IFR from the beginning of the shift to the end. The approach lights for runway 9R failed. There initially was no qualified technician at the facility to work on them despite the problems that we had the previous night. Tonight the arrival rates had been adjusted early on and we never received near the amount of arrs that we normally would have. But the end result was the same. We switched runways no less than 6 times possibly as many as 9 times. We chased the WX minima around the entire shift. We had a heavy aircraft finally forced to shoot the approach to runway 9R without any approach lights and with little to no visibility. I personally held over 40 aircraft during 1 session at the south arrival position. I was told that we at the facility did not get an accurate count of the delays but; I believe that once again; hundreds of aircraft either were delayed; diverted; or cancelled their flts for the second day in a row. Overall; in all the yrs working at phl; these last few days were some of the most stressful for myself and colleagues; directly because of the failure of this equipment and the inability to respond to its outage. The result was that the controller workforce had to make do and make up any method that we could to work through this fiasco. In the end; I have been told that the system was installed long ago and has had multiple problems over the yrs and needs to be replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL TRACON CTLR DESCRIBED RWY 9R APCH LIGHT FAILURE THAT CAUSED FREQUENT RWY CHANGES; COMPLICATING THE ATC RESPONSIBILITIES.

Narrative: THE SAME SCENARIO FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT STARTED AGAIN. THE WX WAS IFR FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SHIFT TO THE END. THE APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY 9R FAILED. THERE INITIALLY WAS NO QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN AT THE FACILITY TO WORK ON THEM DESPITE THE PROBS THAT WE HAD THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. TONIGHT THE ARR RATES HAD BEEN ADJUSTED EARLY ON AND WE NEVER RECEIVED NEAR THE AMOUNT OF ARRS THAT WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE. BUT THE END RESULT WAS THE SAME. WE SWITCHED RWYS NO LESS THAN 6 TIMES POSSIBLY AS MANY AS 9 TIMES. WE CHASED THE WX MINIMA AROUND THE ENTIRE SHIFT. WE HAD A HVY ACFT FINALLY FORCED TO SHOOT THE APCH TO RWY 9R WITHOUT ANY APCH LIGHTS AND WITH LITTLE TO NO VISIBILITY. I PERSONALLY HELD OVER 40 ACFT DURING 1 SESSION AT THE S ARR POS. I WAS TOLD THAT WE AT THE FACILITY DID NOT GET AN ACCURATE COUNT OF THE DELAYS BUT; I BELIEVE THAT ONCE AGAIN; HUNDREDS OF ACFT EITHER WERE DELAYED; DIVERTED; OR CANCELLED THEIR FLTS FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW. OVERALL; IN ALL THE YRS WORKING AT PHL; THESE LAST FEW DAYS WERE SOME OF THE MOST STRESSFUL FOR MYSELF AND COLLEAGUES; DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THIS EQUIP AND THE INABILITY TO RESPOND TO ITS OUTAGE. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE CTLR WORKFORCE HAD TO MAKE DO AND MAKE UP ANY METHOD THAT WE COULD TO WORK THROUGH THIS FIASCO. IN THE END; I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE SYS WAS INSTALLED LONG AGO AND HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBS OVER THE YRS AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

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.