Narrative:

The airways facilities technician was doing something to our display system (stars) when he caused an outage that lasted about 5-6 mins. All displays went down; there were numerous aircraft under our control at the time. All departures were immediately stopped and all outlying facilities were instructed to hold all of our inbounds. During the panic; the system came back up and went off again 3 times. After the second one; I tried to let the supervisor on duty know that he needed to call the center system engineer and have our database restored so we could get data tags and make and receive handoffs. But the supervisor was not in the TRACON and no one was left in charge. I had only 1 aircraft on my frequency and he was in no danger; so I left my position to go to the supervisor's desk and make the required call to the ZNY system engineer. Shortly after I completed the phone call; the TRACON supervisor returned to the TRACON. Controllers that were on break came back in and helped out where needed until sanity was restored. During that 5-6 min period; no fewer than 15 aircraft were affected by either holding at outer fixes or on the ground. And the fact that no supervisor was in the TRACON to make the phone calls that I made and the traffic management specialist made; made this situation more tense. Also; the procedure that we were told at the time that the airways facilities technician was performing (date and time change) is something that is done automatically with stars; and never needs to be done by local technical operations. This is not the first such full system outage that was caused by airways facilities doing something wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR DESCRIBED STARS FAILURE ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY UNNECESSARY MAINT ACTION; SUPVR ABSENCE CITED AS ADDING TO THE PROBLEM.

Narrative: THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN WAS DOING SOMETHING TO OUR DISPLAY SYS (STARS) WHEN HE CAUSED AN OUTAGE THAT LASTED ABOUT 5-6 MINS. ALL DISPLAYS WENT DOWN; THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT UNDER OUR CTL AT THE TIME. ALL DEPS WERE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND ALL OUTLYING FACILITIES WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD ALL OF OUR INBOUNDS. DURING THE PANIC; THE SYS CAME BACK UP AND WENT OFF AGAIN 3 TIMES. AFTER THE SECOND ONE; I TRIED TO LET THE SUPVR ON DUTY KNOW THAT HE NEEDED TO CALL THE CTR SYS ENGINEER AND HAVE OUR DATABASE RESTORED SO WE COULD GET DATA TAGS AND MAKE AND RECEIVE HDOFS. BUT THE SUPVR WAS NOT IN THE TRACON AND NO ONE WAS LEFT IN CHARGE. I HAD ONLY 1 ACFT ON MY FREQ AND HE WAS IN NO DANGER; SO I LEFT MY POS TO GO TO THE SUPVR'S DESK AND MAKE THE REQUIRED CALL TO THE ZNY SYS ENGINEER. SHORTLY AFTER I COMPLETED THE PHONE CALL; THE TRACON SUPVR RETURNED TO THE TRACON. CTLRS THAT WERE ON BREAK CAME BACK IN AND HELPED OUT WHERE NEEDED UNTIL SANITY WAS RESTORED. DURING THAT 5-6 MIN PERIOD; NO FEWER THAN 15 ACFT WERE AFFECTED BY EITHER HOLDING AT OUTER FIXES OR ON THE GND. AND THE FACT THAT NO SUPVR WAS IN THE TRACON TO MAKE THE PHONE CALLS THAT I MADE AND THE TFC MGMNT SPECIALIST MADE; MADE THIS SITUATION MORE TENSE. ALSO; THE PROC THAT WE WERE TOLD AT THE TIME THAT THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN WAS PERFORMING (DATE AND TIME CHANGE) IS SOMETHING THAT IS DONE AUTOMATICALLY WITH STARS; AND NEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE BY LCL TECHNICAL OPS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST SUCH FULL SYS OUTAGE THAT WAS CAUSED BY AIRWAYS FACILITIES DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.