Jfk controller voiced concern regarding continued failure of etvs ted communication equipment.

Attributes
ACN	765969
Time
Date	200712
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 20 controller non radar : 5
ASRS Report	765969
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	communication equipment : jfk.tower

Narrative:

The etvs ted communications equipment at the ground control 2 position repeatedly fails. This started several months ago; failing several times a week. Eventually the position failed so frequently that airways facilities technicians did a repair. That was about a month ago. Now; the position fails several times a day; and can be out as long as several hours until a technician responds. Ground control #2 is used during busy periods of traffic at kennedy airport. If this position fails while staffed; communications with vehicles; repositioning aircraft; and aircraft waiting to taxi is lost. There is no excuse for the FAA to fail to make a permanent fix to this vital piece of equipment. They will wait until there is near collision; or worse; before they come up with a solution.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JFK CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING CONTINUED FAILURE OF ETVS TED COM EQUIP.

Narrative: THE ETVS TED COMS EQUIP AT THE GND CTL 2 POS REPEATEDLY FAILS. THIS STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO; FAILING SEVERAL TIMES A WK. EVENTUALLY THE POS FAILED SO FREQUENTLY THAT AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS DID A REPAIR. THAT WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO. NOW; THE POS FAILS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY; AND CAN BE OUT AS LONG AS SEVERAL HRS UNTIL A TECHNICIAN RESPONDS. GND CTL #2 IS USED DURING BUSY PERIODS OF TFC AT KENNEDY ARPT. IF THIS POS FAILS WHILE STAFFED; COMS WITH VEHICLES; REPOSITIONING ACFT; AND ACFT WAITING TO TAXI IS LOST. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THE FAA TO FAIL TO MAKE A PERMANENT FIX TO THIS VITAL PIECE OF EQUIP. THEY WILL WAIT UNTIL THERE IS NEAR COLLISION; OR WORSE; BEFORE THEY COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

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.