Narrative:

For over a month now I have been reporting and documenting aircraft not being displayed on our radar but being displayed on ebus/darc. I have been asking for this to be documented in our facility/area logs. Sometimes they will and sometimes not. Absolutely no target or display on aircraft that are known to be in the sector and observed on darc (target and mode C). This is well documented yet has never been briefed to other controllers other than our word of mouth and being ignored by our management. These displays being missed aren't for just a moment; some as far as 20-30 miles. There is a chance this has something to do with adaptation of the vrb radar however the targets are missing even when vrb radar is not involved.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated the target failures noted were still occurring. The reporter also stated that unless a controller compares their operational display to the darc equipment the un-displayed targets may go unnoticed. The reporter indicated that the anomaly has been noticed at various sectors in the facility and is not confined to the positions using the vrb site as was initially suggested by maintenance/management. The reporter's expressed primary concern is that management refuses to provide information to all facility controllers on the possibility of missing targets.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING RADAR EQUIPMENT THAT FAILS TO DISPLAY TARGETS WHEN BACKUP EQUIPMENT DOES DISPLAY TARGETS.

Narrative: FOR OVER A MONTH NOW I HAVE BEEN REPORTING AND DOCUMENTING ACFT NOT BEING DISPLAYED ON OUR RADAR BUT BEING DISPLAYED ON EBUS/DARC. I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS TO BE DOCUMENTED IN OUR FACILITY/AREA LOGS. SOMETIMES THEY WILL AND SOMETIMES NOT. ABSOLUTELY NO TARGET OR DISPLAY ON ACFT THAT ARE KNOWN TO BE IN THE SECTOR AND OBSERVED ON DARC (TARGET AND MODE C). THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED YET HAS NEVER BEEN BRIEFED TO OTHER CTLRS OTHER THAN OUR WORD OF MOUTH AND BEING IGNORED BY OUR MANAGEMENT. THESE DISPLAYS BEING MISSED AREN'T FOR JUST A MOMENT; SOME AS FAR AS 20-30 MILES. THERE IS A CHANCE THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH ADAPTATION OF THE VRB RADAR HOWEVER THE TARGETS ARE MISSING EVEN WHEN VRB RADAR IS NOT INVOLVED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THE TARGET FAILURES NOTED WERE STILL OCCURRING. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT UNLESS A CTLR COMPARES THEIR OPERATIONAL DISPLAY TO THE DARC EQUIPMENT THE UN-DISPLAYED TARGETS MAY GO UNNOTICED. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE ANOMALY HAS BEEN NOTICED AT VARIOUS SECTORS IN THE FACILITY AND IS NOT CONFINED TO THE POSITIONS USING THE VRB SITE AS WAS INITIALLY SUGGESTED BY MAINT/MGMNT. THE RPTR'S EXPRESSED PRIMARY CONCERN IS THAT MGMNT REFUSES TO PROVIDE INFO TO ALL FACILITY CTLRS ON THE POSSIBILITY OF MISSING TARGETS.

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.