Airways facility maintenance person working on standby power generator caused several radar outages.

Attributes
ACN	146709
Time
Date	199005
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : alo
State Reference	IA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Qualification	controller : developmental
Experience	controller radar : 1 controller supervisory : 2
ASRS Report	146709
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
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	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Beginning at approximately xa:30 local maintenance began test work on the back up generator. During the next 4 hours we had several occasions when the radar scope went blank for up to 10 seconds. On at least 2 occasions the ATC supervisor confronted the af specialist and requested he cease the work if it were to continue to cause the power loss to radar (scopes only). He (af) replied he didn't know why it was doing that, however he continued. Maintenance at waterloo seems to be performed at our busiest times. From xx:00 local to xb:00 local is our busy time of the day. Not only does maintenance take equipment down west/O coordination, but the quality of their work is poor at best. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated problem had been corrected. The maintenance person has been on vacation for the last two weeks. At supervisor has discussed the situation with af supervisor and remedial training is being considered. No ucr filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRWAYS FAC MAINTENANCE PERSON WORKING ON STANDBY POWER GENERATOR CAUSED SEVERAL RADAR OUTAGES.

Narrative: BEGINNING AT APPROX XA:30 LCL MAINT BEGAN TEST WORK ON THE BACK UP GENERATOR. DURING THE NEXT 4 HRS WE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE RADAR SCOPE WENT BLANK FOR UP TO 10 SECS. ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS THE ATC SUPVR CONFRONTED THE AF SPECIALIST AND REQUESTED HE CEASE THE WORK IF IT WERE TO CONTINUE TO CAUSE THE PWR LOSS TO RADAR (SCOPES ONLY). HE (AF) REPLIED HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT WAS DOING THAT, HOWEVER HE CONTINUED. MAINT AT WATERLOO SEEMS TO BE PERFORMED AT OUR BUSIEST TIMES. FROM XX:00 LCL TO XB:00 LCL IS OUR BUSY TIME OF THE DAY. NOT ONLY DOES MAINT TAKE EQUIP DOWN W/O COORD, BUT THE QUALITY OF THEIR WORK IS POOR AT BEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED PROB HAD BEEN CORRECTED. THE MAINT PERSON HAS BEEN ON VACATION FOR THE LAST TWO WKS. AT SUPVR HAS DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH AF SUPVR AND REMEDIAL TRNING IS BEING CONSIDERED. NO UCR FILED.

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.