Narrative:

On sunday dec 1988, at washington ARTCC, between XA23 and XB12 zulu, the yorktown super high sector was manned by a d-side, and r-side and an l-side. A supervisor was standing at the sector observing the operation. Traffic volume had become heavy and was approaching extremely heavy so we began refusing additional traffic not already at altitude in an effort to keep the sector under control. Suddenly at XA472 the radar screen went blank. At this point, traffic volume was such that we were having a difficult time managing the sector with the radar on. Specifically, many aircraft were on vectors for separation and we were searching for solutions to a number of potential conflicts involving faster aircraft overtaking slower. In addition, there were opposite direction aircraft at FL410. In short, the last thing we needed was to lose our radar. At XA49Z, two min after the scope went blank, we were advised to change to darc (back-up radar). The darc didn't work at our position, although it did work at others. At this point we stopped all traffic from entering our airspace and we scrambled to find a working radar screen to commandeer. At XA52Z, the NAS radar returned to service except at our position which remained blank. Six min after losing radar we still had nothing and we were frantic! Four min later at approximately XA56Z we succeeded in commandeering a working sector and we quickly began reidentifying everyone. The head-on aircraft missed by 7 mi at FL410, the aircraft on vectors were safe although way off course and out to sea, but an air carrier jet was rapidly overtaking a light transport at FL370. We issued an immediate right turn and they missed by a mi or two. Shortly thereafter, we had the sector under control and resumed normal operations. We are concerned with the potential for loss of life in this situation and we are afraid of a reoccurrence. Of particular interest to us is the fact that 15-20 min prior to the initial failure we were advised by the area supervisor to check our darc (back up radar) and it worked fine. We have not received an explanation despite numerous inquiries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC SECTOR LOST RADAR ON POSITION FOR APPROXIMATELY 9 MINUTES. HAD LTSS BTWN ACR JET AND CORP JET JUST AFTER RADAR RETURNED.

Narrative: ON SUNDAY DEC 1988, AT WASHINGTON ARTCC, BETWEEN XA23 AND XB12 ZULU, THE YORKTOWN SUPER HIGH SECTOR WAS MANNED BY A D-SIDE, AND R-SIDE AND AN L-SIDE. A SUPVR WAS STANDING AT THE SECTOR OBSERVING THE OPERATION. TFC VOLUME HAD BECOME HEAVY AND WAS APCHING EXTREMELY HEAVY SO WE BEGAN REFUSING ADDITIONAL TFC NOT ALREADY AT ALT IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE SECTOR UNDER CONTROL. SUDDENLY AT XA472 THE RADAR SCREEN WENT BLANK. AT THIS POINT, TFC VOLUME WAS SUCH THAT WE WERE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME MANAGING THE SECTOR WITH THE RADAR ON. SPECIFICALLY, MANY ACFT WERE ON VECTORS FOR SEPARATION AND WE WERE SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS TO A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS INVOLVING FASTER ACFT OVERTAKING SLOWER. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT AT FL410. IN SHORT, THE LAST THING WE NEEDED WAS TO LOSE OUR RADAR. AT XA49Z, TWO MIN AFTER THE SCOPE WENT BLANK, WE WERE ADVISED TO CHANGE TO DARC (BACK-UP RADAR). THE DARC DIDN'T WORK AT OUR POSITION, ALTHOUGH IT DID WORK AT OTHERS. AT THIS POINT WE STOPPED ALL TFC FROM ENTERING OUR AIRSPACE AND WE SCRAMBLED TO FIND A WORKING RADAR SCREEN TO COMMANDEER. AT XA52Z, THE NAS RADAR RETURNED TO SERVICE EXCEPT AT OUR POSITION WHICH REMAINED BLANK. SIX MIN AFTER LOSING RADAR WE STILL HAD NOTHING AND WE WERE FRANTIC! FOUR MIN LATER AT APPROX XA56Z WE SUCCEEDED IN COMMANDEERING A WORKING SECTOR AND WE QUICKLY BEGAN REIDENTIFYING EVERYONE. THE HEAD-ON ACFT MISSED BY 7 MI AT FL410, THE ACFT ON VECTORS WERE SAFE ALTHOUGH WAY OFF COURSE AND OUT TO SEA, BUT AN ACR JET WAS RAPIDLY OVERTAKING A LTT AT FL370. WE ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN AND THEY MISSED BY A MI OR TWO. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE HAD THE SECTOR UNDER CONTROL AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS. WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE IN THIS SITUATION AND WE ARE AFRAID OF A REOCCURRENCE. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO US IS THE FACT THAT 15-20 MIN PRIOR TO THE INITIAL FAILURE WE WERE ADVISED BY THE AREA SUPVR TO CHECK OUR DARC (BACK UP RADAR) AND IT WORKED FINE. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION DESPITE NUMEROUS INQUIRIES.

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.