Computer failure at facility caused confusion accepting and initiating handoffs.

Attributes
ACN	135060
Time
Date	199001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zlc
State Reference	UT
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	135060
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

The computer failed and everyone switched to the backup system (darc). Some of the sectors did not have the backup system. Some of the sectors that did have darc weren't operating/functioning correctly. I was working sector 5 (butte/bozeman, mt) when the computer failed. Within minutes, ZSE was calling me with handoffs on aircraft which I had no flight plans on. The radar system was also unreliable because I could not see aircraft in my sector at FL290 until they were near the center of the sector. Sector 4's scope kept going blank so I called up the data blocks in his sector and started making handoffs for him to prevent systems deviations. To the best of my knowledge, we caught all of the handoffs in time but we are not sure about the time before I brought up the data blocks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPUTER FAILURE AT FAC CAUSED CONFUSION ACCEPTING AND INITIATING HANDOFFS.

Narrative: THE COMPUTER FAILED AND EVERYONE SWITCHED TO THE BACKUP SYSTEM (DARC). SOME OF THE SECTORS DID NOT HAVE THE BACKUP SYSTEM. SOME OF THE SECTORS THAT DID HAVE DARC WEREN'T OPERATING/FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. I WAS WORKING SECTOR 5 (BUTTE/BOZEMAN, MT) WHEN THE COMPUTER FAILED. WITHIN MINUTES, ZSE WAS CALLING ME WITH HANDOFFS ON ACFT WHICH I HAD NO FLT PLANS ON. THE RADAR SYSTEM WAS ALSO UNRELIABLE BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE ACFT IN MY SECTOR AT FL290 UNTIL THEY WERE NEAR THE CENTER OF THE SECTOR. SECTOR 4'S SCOPE KEPT GOING BLANK SO I CALLED UP THE DATA BLOCKS IN HIS SECTOR AND STARTED MAKING HANDOFFS FOR HIM TO PREVENT SYSTEMS DEVIATIONS. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, WE CAUGHT ALL OF THE HANDOFFS IN TIME BUT WE ARE NOT SURE ABOUT THE TIME BEFORE I BROUGHT UP THE DATA BLOCKS.

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