Narrative:

I am filing this unsatisfactory condition report (ucr) because I am very concerned with the reliability of the new ATC ASR-9 radar. This system was accepted by the FAA at corpus christi on 10/89. On 11/89, the radar was already out of service (OTS) and the mfr's personnel were no longer on site. The ASR-9 has been OTS numerous times since then (see attachment 1), the latest of which placed the radar inoperative for more than a week. On 2/90, the radar antenna itself broke (or worked) loose from the mount in the front of the antenna. The radar antenna then tilted back almost 90 degrees and pointed straight up! The preliminary report said that a roll pin, that is used to anchor the front of the antenna down, either was defective, improperly installed, or not installed at all! This damaged the antenna and a new antenna had to be shipped to the site, installed, and then flight checked. This is not an isolated incident. So far our FAA maintenance personnel have had to either replace or fix: 1. Bad sensors 2. Defective drive motors 3. Defective cables and other numerous parts. Each time the radar goes out we are also increasing the possibilities of an operational error or near miss. The most crucial time for a controller is the transition period going from radar to non-radar. Our major concern is that if the ASR-9 system is installed at other facs such as dfw and they have the same problems with outages that this could possibly compromise safety on a nation-wide basis. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter says that equipment getting better, but still goes out frequently. This is a new system covering airspace that previously belonged to other facs. They also have an ASR-8 for the area surrounding their airport. There is a 5 mi overlap between the two system. The WX portion is still useless. Reporter says that something on the system is always out. Af personnel are doing what they can. Reporter has 3 yrs radar, 4 yrs military, and 5 yrs non radar experience. Reporter concern about installation at busier airports and impact on ATC system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER STATES THAT NEW ASR-9 RADAR INSTALLATION IS UNRELIABLE.

Narrative: I AM FILING THIS UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION RPT (UCR) BECAUSE I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE RELIABILITY OF THE NEW ATC ASR-9 RADAR. THIS SYS WAS ACCEPTED BY THE FAA AT CORPUS CHRISTI ON 10/89. ON 11/89, THE RADAR WAS ALREADY OUT OF SVC (OTS) AND THE MFR'S PERSONNEL WERE NO LONGER ON SITE. THE ASR-9 HAS BEEN OTS NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE THEN (SEE ATTACHMENT 1), THE LATEST OF WHICH PLACED THE RADAR INOP FOR MORE THAN A WK. ON 2/90, THE RADAR ANTENNA ITSELF BROKE (OR WORKED) LOOSE FROM THE MOUNT IN THE FRONT OF THE ANTENNA. THE RADAR ANTENNA THEN TILTED BACK ALMOST 90 DEGS AND POINTED STRAIGHT UP! THE PRELIMINARY RPT SAID THAT A ROLL PIN, THAT IS USED TO ANCHOR THE FRONT OF THE ANTENNA DOWN, EITHER WAS DEFECTIVE, IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, OR NOT INSTALLED AT ALL! THIS DAMAGED THE ANTENNA AND A NEW ANTENNA HAD TO BE SHIPPED TO THE SITE, INSTALLED, AND THEN FLT CHKED. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. SO FAR OUR FAA MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE HAD TO EITHER REPLACE OR FIX: 1. BAD SENSORS 2. DEFECTIVE DRIVE MOTORS 3. DEFECTIVE CABLES AND OTHER NUMEROUS PARTS. EACH TIME THE RADAR GOES OUT WE ARE ALSO INCREASING THE POSSIBILITIES OF AN OPERATIONAL ERROR OR NEAR MISS. THE MOST CRUCIAL TIME FOR A CTLR IS THE TRANSITION PERIOD GOING FROM RADAR TO NON-RADAR. OUR MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT IF THE ASR-9 SYS IS INSTALLED AT OTHER FACS SUCH AS DFW AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBS WITH OUTAGES THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY COMPROMISE SAFETY ON A NATION-WIDE BASIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAYS THAT EQUIP GETTING BETTER, BUT STILL GOES OUT FREQUENTLY. THIS IS A NEW SYS COVERING AIRSPACE THAT PREVIOUSLY BELONGED TO OTHER FACS. THEY ALSO HAVE AN ASR-8 FOR THE AREA SURROUNDING THEIR ARPT. THERE IS A 5 MI OVERLAP BTWN THE TWO SYS. THE WX PORTION IS STILL USELESS. RPTR SAYS THAT SOMETHING ON THE SYS IS ALWAYS OUT. AF PERSONNEL ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN. RPTR HAS 3 YRS RADAR, 4 YRS MIL, AND 5 YRS NON RADAR EXPERIENCE. RPTR CONCERN ABOUT INSTALLATION AT BUSIER ARPTS AND IMPACT ON ATC SYS.

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.