Sct controller voiced concern regarding the current waiver requirement for hhr approach procedures a...

Narrative:

Aircraft X was on the localizer approach to hhr. The waiver requires radar coverage to be adequate; which it was not. The aircraft's target disappeared outside of demon; the FAF; for one or two sweeps; and then I lost all radar coverage on about a 2 mile final. I am unable to separate an la arrival from that hhr arrival by terms of the waiver sct la area has; if I do not have adequate radar coverage. This has been brought up countless times in the past. The controllers have been informed that maintenance says the radar is operating within tolerance. However; we routinely lose radar coverage between 2 and 1 mile final on the hhr arrivals. The usual course of action is to verify with hhr that the aircraft is in sight or has landed. Recommendation; change the waiver to allow for this known radar inadequacy; fix the radar system or cancel the waiver. When the hhr approach occurs; you do not know when you will lose radar coverage; only that it will probably happen. Consequently; the controller cannot take action until it is too late. Additionally; if an hhr aircraft were to stray north of its final; bear in mind that in my many years at la; this has never happened; the controller could not tell due to lack of radar coverage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SCT controller voiced concern regarding the current waiver requirement for HHR approach procedures and the limited RADAR coverage in the subject area; either RADAR coverage should be improved and/or waiver requirements changed.

Narrative: Aircraft X was on the localizer approach to HHR. The waiver requires RADAR coverage to be adequate; which it was not. The aircraft's target disappeared outside of DEMON; the FAF; for one or two sweeps; and then I lost all RADAR coverage on about a 2 mile final. I am unable to separate an LA arrival from that HHR arrival by terms of the waiver SCT LA area has; if I do not have adequate RADAR coverage. This has been brought up countless times in the past. The controllers have been informed that maintenance says the RADAR is operating within tolerance. However; we routinely lose RADAR coverage between 2 and 1 mile final on the HHR arrivals. The usual course of action is to verify with HHR that the aircraft is in sight or has landed. Recommendation; change the waiver to allow for this known RADAR inadequacy; fix the RADAR system or cancel the waiver. When the HHR approach occurs; you do not know when you will lose RADAR coverage; only that it will probably happen. Consequently; the controller cannot take action until it is too late. Additionally; if an HHR aircraft were to stray north of its final; bear in mind that in my many years at LA; this has never happened; the controller could not tell due to lack of RADAR coverage.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	888888
Time
Date	201005
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	HHR.Airport
State Reference	CA
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Final Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Sct controller voiced concern regarding the current waiver requirement for hhr approach procedures and the limited radar coverage in the subject area; either radar coverage should be improved and/or waiver requirements changed.