Fai controller voiced concern regarding military flts when more than one aircraft squawks a code and...

Attributes
ACN	781630
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fai.tracon
State Reference	AK
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 4.5 controller time certified in position1 : 4
ASRS Report	781630
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Military fighter aircraft are almost always flts of 2 or more. Most of the time the last element in the flight squawks XXXX. This results in recurring false collision alert alarms. As with all false alarms; this creates excessive distractions in the operational area. We requested that our operational support facility disable the collision alarm for aircraft squawking XXXX. They were unable to accommodate the request as the aircraft with the XXXX code is not ARTS tracked so there is no way to disable that target. It appears to be a systemic problem. The operational support facility queried other facilities that work military aircraft and found the same issue. The only viable work-around for a TRACON is to drop the ARTS track on the lead aircraft after it departs that TRACON's airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAI CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING MIL FLTS WHEN MORE THAN ONE ACFT SQUAWKS A CODE AND THE ACFT WITHIN THE FLT CAUSE CONFLICT ALERT.

Narrative: MIL FIGHTER ACFT ARE ALMOST ALWAYS FLTS OF 2 OR MORE. MOST OF THE TIME THE LAST ELEMENT IN THE FLT SQUAWKS XXXX. THIS RESULTS IN RECURRING FALSE COLLISION ALERT ALARMS. AS WITH ALL FALSE ALARMS; THIS CREATES EXCESSIVE DISTRACTIONS IN THE OPERATIONAL AREA. WE REQUESTED THAT OUR OPERATIONAL SUPPORT FACILITY DISABLE THE COLLISION ALARM FOR ACFT SQUAWKING XXXX. THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE REQUEST AS THE ACFT WITH THE XXXX CODE IS NOT ARTS TRACKED SO THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE THAT TARGET. IT APPEARS TO BE A SYSTEMIC PROB. THE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT FACILITY QUERIED OTHER FACILITIES THAT WORK MIL ACFT AND FOUND THE SAME ISSUE. THE ONLY VIABLE WORK-AROUND FOR A TRACON IS TO DROP THE ARTS TRACK ON THE LEAD ACFT AFTER IT DEPARTS THAT TRACON'S AIRSPACE.

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.

Fai controller voiced concern regarding military flts when more than one aircraft squawks a code and the aircraft within the flight cause conflict alert.