Narrative:

I was working the 'a' position when my position experienced an equipment failure/malfunction. We were working moderately busy traffic with steadily increasing complexity due to a military operation. Without warning our radar scope at 1 sector began to display an anomaly and the tracks stopped updating. This situation lasted about 10-15 seconds; at which point the entire scope went blank. After about 3-5 seconds the tracks reappeared; still frozen; but the video map did not come back on. The radar controller then attempted to switch to the back up radar system (darc); which caused the scope to begin flashing. The video map and tracks would alternately appear and disappear about once every second. The tracks were still not updating and we were unable to see primary or beacon targets. The automation between our sector and adjacent facilities was no longer working. We were forced to make manual handoffs to ZMA and mco on aircraft using estimated position and beacon code. The radar controller continued to separate aircraft using vertical separation and other non-radar procedures. Departures from the jax complex into the malfunctioning sector were stopped. The sector was then combined onto another where the equipment was working properly. Both sectors were now extremely busy and extremely complex. I moved over to work the other while the downed sector controller stayed at the same position to help the new sector. A tracker was also plugged in at another sector. After about 5-8 mins the radar came back on line and that sector was reopened. As far as I know the cause of this malfunction is unknown and did not affect any other ZJX sectors. In my opinion this malfunction created a potentially dangerous situation at the affected sector.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR CHRONICLES RADAR DISPLAY FAILURE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE 'A' POS WHEN MY POS EXPERIENCED AN EQUIP FAILURE/MALFUNCTION. WE WERE WORKING MODERATELY BUSY TFC WITH STEADILY INCREASING COMPLEXITY DUE TO A MIL OP. WITHOUT WARNING OUR RADAR SCOPE AT 1 SECTOR BEGAN TO DISPLAY AN ANOMALY AND THE TRACKS STOPPED UPDATING. THIS SIT LASTED ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS; AT WHICH POINT THE ENTIRE SCOPE WENT BLANK. AFTER ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS THE TRACKS REAPPEARED; STILL FROZEN; BUT THE VIDEO MAP DID NOT COME BACK ON. THE RADAR CTLR THEN ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO THE BACK UP RADAR SYS (DARC); WHICH CAUSED THE SCOPE TO BEGIN FLASHING. THE VIDEO MAP AND TRACKS WOULD ALTERNATELY APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR ABOUT ONCE EVERY SECOND. THE TRACKS WERE STILL NOT UPDATING AND WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE PRIMARY OR BEACON TARGETS. THE AUTOMATION BTWN OUR SECTOR AND ADJACENT FACILITIES WAS NO LONGER WORKING. WE WERE FORCED TO MAKE MANUAL HDOFS TO ZMA AND MCO ON ACFT USING ESTIMATED POS AND BEACON CODE. THE RADAR CTLR CONTINUED TO SEPARATE ACFT USING VERT SEPARATION AND OTHER NON-RADAR PROCS. DEPS FROM THE JAX COMPLEX INTO THE MALFUNCTIONING SECTOR WERE STOPPED. THE SECTOR WAS THEN COMBINED ONTO ANOTHER WHERE THE EQUIP WAS WORKING PROPERLY. BOTH SECTORS WERE NOW EXTREMELY BUSY AND EXTREMELY COMPLEX. I MOVED OVER TO WORK THE OTHER WHILE THE DOWNED SECTOR CTLR STAYED AT THE SAME POS TO HELP THE NEW SECTOR. A TRACKER WAS ALSO PLUGGED IN AT ANOTHER SECTOR. AFTER ABOUT 5-8 MINS THE RADAR CAME BACK ON LINE AND THAT SECTOR WAS REOPENED. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE CAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION IS UNKNOWN AND DID NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER ZJX SECTORS. IN MY OPINION THIS MALFUNCTION CREATED A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT AT THE AFFECTED SECTOR.

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.