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Mem controller described traffic period when arrival capacity was limited due to ILS equipment outages; maintenance declining to repair because of budget restraints.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 753375 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200709 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lbb.tower |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 6.5 controller radar : 11.5 |
| ASRS Report | 753375 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : mem.tracon radar equipment : mem.tracon |
Narrative:
During our mid-day arrival in MVFR conditions at mem; our facility was forced to use staggered ILS approachs to runways 18L/right because of equipment outages to both the left and right ILS system. The ILS runway 18R had the MM OTS; and the ILS runway 18L had the DME OTS; therefore; we could not run simultaneous ILS approachs to runways 18L/right. Tower could not provide visual separation with aircraft on approach to runway 27; so our capacity was greatly reduced. The equipment that is OTS will stay that way until the start of the new fiscal yr because the airway facilities portion of the FAA (the technicians that monitor and fix the equipment) is broke until then. A data system we have has several units OTS. This keeps controllers at some position from being able to access the current WX. Initially at the end of august; the technicians were to fix only safety critical equipment. Now; technicians must get supervisory approval to fix any piece of equipment. Budgetary constraints are diminishing safety and capacity at memphis international airport.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MEM CTLR DESCRIBED TFC PERIOD WHEN ARR CAPACITY WAS LIMITED DUE TO ILS EQUIP OUTAGES; MAINT DECLINING TO REPAIR BECAUSE OF BUDGET RESTRAINTS.
Narrative: DURING OUR MID-DAY ARR IN MVFR CONDITIONS AT MEM; OUR FACILITY WAS FORCED TO USE STAGGERED ILS APCHS TO RWYS 18L/R BECAUSE OF EQUIP OUTAGES TO BOTH THE L AND R ILS SYS. THE ILS RWY 18R HAD THE MM OTS; AND THE ILS RWY 18L HAD THE DME OTS; THEREFORE; WE COULD NOT RUN SIMULTANEOUS ILS APCHS TO RWYS 18L/R. TWR COULD NOT PROVIDE VISUAL SEPARATION WITH ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 27; SO OUR CAPACITY WAS GREATLY REDUCED. THE EQUIP THAT IS OTS WILL STAY THAT WAY UNTIL THE START OF THE NEW FISCAL YR BECAUSE THE AIRWAY FACILITIES PORTION OF THE FAA (THE TECHNICIANS THAT MONITOR AND FIX THE EQUIP) IS BROKE UNTIL THEN. A DATA SYS WE HAVE HAS SEVERAL UNITS OTS. THIS KEEPS CTLRS AT SOME POS FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT WX. INITIALLY AT THE END OF AUGUST; THE TECHNICIANS WERE TO FIX ONLY SAFETY CRITICAL EQUIP. NOW; TECHNICIANS MUST GET SUPERVISORY APPROVAL TO FIX ANY PIECE OF EQUIP. BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS ARE DIMINISHING SAFETY AND CAPACITY AT MEMPHIS INTL ARPT.
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.