Area of poor radar coverage.

Attributes
ACN	155062
Time
Date	199008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pwm
State Reference	ME
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pwm
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	155062
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Lost radar on small aircraft X at 5000' 30 mi west of pwm. This airspace has traffic of moderate intensity. I could easily have been using minimum radar sep between small aircraft X and another when I lost small aircraft X. It took 5 mi of flight before I reidented this aircraft. Losing any aircraft in a radar environment can cause catastrophic results. It is not always possible to keep aircraft out of this area. No loss of sep occurred. Solution: replace radar system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AREA OF POOR RADAR COVERAGE.

Narrative: LOST RADAR ON SMA X AT 5000' 30 MI W OF PWM. THIS AIRSPACE HAS TFC OF MODERATE INTENSITY. I COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN USING MINIMUM RADAR SEP BTWN SMA X AND ANOTHER WHEN I LOST SMA X. IT TOOK 5 MI OF FLT BEFORE I REIDENTED THIS ACFT. LOSING ANY ACFT IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO KEEP ACFT OUT OF THIS AREA. NO LOSS OF SEP OCCURRED. SOLUTION: REPLACE RADAR 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.