Shutdown of ARTCC radar equipment with VOR outage.

Attributes
ACN	150768
Time
Date	199007
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bil
State Reference	MT
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	150768
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Although to my knowledge, no loss of sep occurred, I was put in the unpleasant situation of having to work an en route sector west/O the use of radar and with the primary NAVAID serving the sector out of service. Further complications arose as a result of severe thunderstorms in the area and moderate military activity underway. Apparently the lovell, wy, ARSR site had been scheduled to go off line for an 8 hour period for equipment maintenance. Unfortunately, whoever released the site had no idea that the bill VORTAC was also out and there is poor overlapping coverage by other sites. Numerous bmb aborted their ir missions due to thunderstorms and I was not able to render much assistance at all. I feel it was an unsafe situation brought on by poor foresight on the part of management.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHUTDOWN OF ARTCC RADAR EQUIPMENT WITH VOR OUTAGE.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO LOSS OF SEP OCCURRED, I WAS PUT IN THE UNPLEASANT SITUATION OF HAVING TO WORK AN ENRTE SECTOR W/O THE USE OF RADAR AND WITH THE PRIMARY NAVAID SERVING THE SECTOR OUT OF SVC. FURTHER COMPLICATIONS AROSE AS A RESULT OF SEVERE TSTMS IN THE AREA AND MODERATE MIL ACTIVITY UNDERWAY. APPARENTLY THE LOVELL, WY, ARSR SITE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO GO OFF LINE FOR AN 8 HR PERIOD FOR EQUIP MAINT. UNFORTUNATELY, WHOEVER RELEASED THE SITE HAD NO IDEA THAT THE BILL VORTAC WAS ALSO OUT AND THERE IS POOR OVERLAPPING COVERAGE BY OTHER SITES. NUMEROUS BMB ABORTED THEIR IR MISSIONS DUE TO TSTMS AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO RENDER MUCH ASSISTANCE AT ALL. I FEEL IT WAS AN UNSAFE SITUATION BROUGHT ON BY POOR FORESIGHT ON THE PART OF MGMNT.

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.