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ZDC controller described radio failure incident alleging radio status as being suspect at best with questionable improvement over the last 2 years.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 734182 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200704 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : tyi.vortac |
| State Reference | NC |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : pit.tower |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 29 |
| ASRS Report | 734182 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | communication equipment : zdc.artcc |
Narrative:
While working the tar river (tyi) sector at ZDC; the radios became unusable (main transmitter); I attempted to use the backup (standby transmitter) and it would not activate. I then went to the backup emergency radios (buec) and the transmitter worked; but there was a hiss in the backgnd which blocked the readback instructions. There were approximately 20 aircraft on frequency with numerous control instructions that need to be issued due to crossing restrs and climbing aircraft. These radios have been idented by both controller and technicians as being suspect at best; but to date they are just as bad as they were 1-2 yrs ago when the radios became suspect.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZDC CTLR DESCRIBED RADIO FAILURE INCIDENT ALLEGING RADIO STATUS AS BEING SUSPECT AT BEST WITH QUESTIONABLE IMPROVEMENT OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS.
Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE TAR RIVER (TYI) SECTOR AT ZDC; THE RADIOS BECAME UNUSABLE (MAIN XMITTER); I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE BACKUP (STANDBY XMITTER) AND IT WOULD NOT ACTIVATE. I THEN WENT TO THE BACKUP EMER RADIOS (BUEC) AND THE XMITTER WORKED; BUT THERE WAS A HISS IN THE BACKGND WHICH BLOCKED THE READBACK INSTRUCTIONS. THERE WERE APPROX 20 ACFT ON FREQ WITH NUMEROUS CTL INSTRUCTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ISSUED DUE TO XING RESTRS AND CLBING ACFT. THESE RADIOS HAVE BEEN IDENTED BY BOTH CTLR AND TECHNICIANS AS BEING SUSPECT AT BEST; BUT TO DATE THEY ARE JUST AS BAD AS THEY WERE 1-2 YRS AGO WHEN THE RADIOS BECAME SUSPECT.
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.