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Maintenance technician inadvertently flipped radio switch and approach controller couldn't talk to small transport on vector towards higher terrain. Portable radio used to make contact with small transport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 89627 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198806 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sba airport : sb |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sba tracon : gpt |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : sba |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : private |
| Experience | controller military : 4 controller radar : 7 flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 0 |
| ASRS Report | 89627 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
While working the west arrival radar sector I observed an fdep technician fiddling with the strip printer, flipping switches which activated the back up fdep printer then entering test messages. Just prior to leaving the TRACON the technician accidentally flipped a switch (directly above the printer selector switch) which inactivated the main and standby radio transmitters for the east side (departure) controller, and the controller was unable to communicate until a maintenance supervisor idented the problem (12 mins later). An small transport was on a northbound vector towards mountainous terrain (MVA 5000') at 4000' when our radios were lost and a back up portable radio was finally able to make contact with the aircraft just before he entered the higher MVA. The technician was informed of the near disaster. The following day the back up radio (portable) also failed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN INADVERTENTLY FLIPPED RADIO SWITCH AND APCH CTLR COULDN'T TALK TO SMT ON VECTOR TOWARDS HIGHER TERRAIN. PORTABLE RADIO USED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH SMT.
Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE W ARR RADAR SECTOR I OBSERVED AN FDEP TECHNICIAN FIDDLING WITH THE STRIP PRINTER, FLIPPING SWITCHES WHICH ACTIVATED THE BACK UP FDEP PRINTER THEN ENTERING TEST MESSAGES. JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING THE TRACON THE TECHNICIAN ACCIDENTALLY FLIPPED A SWITCH (DIRECTLY ABOVE THE PRINTER SELECTOR SWITCH) WHICH INACTIVATED THE MAIN AND STANDBY RADIO XMITTERS FOR THE E SIDE (DEP) CTLR, AND THE CTLR WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE UNTIL A MAINT SUPVR IDENTED THE PROB (12 MINS LATER). AN SMT WAS ON A NBOUND VECTOR TOWARDS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN (MVA 5000') AT 4000' WHEN OUR RADIOS WERE LOST AND A BACK UP PORTABLE RADIO WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ACFT JUST BEFORE HE ENTERED THE HIGHER MVA. THE TECHNICIAN WAS INFORMED OF THE NEAR DISASTER. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE BACK UP RADIO (PORTABLE) ALSO FAILED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.