Narrative:

Last month (august) I was working the bzn area here at ZLC. The bzn VORTAC was scheduled out every day during the day shift and early swing for maintenance. When I asked my supervisor what was going on, he said they had asked for it for maintenance. On my next break, I went to the maintenance people and asked what was going on. They said that one of their technicians lived in bozman and was doing his OJT using the VOR. When bzn is out, there are no usable approachs, or departure procedures at bozman, mt. All arwys are unusable and there are no substitute arwys. Since this time, I know they have taken a major NAVAID (bil), which creates a lot of extra work for the controllers during the rushes. Today they have taken the shr ILS for the same reason. My question is why is maintenance being allowed to take our navaids out during prime usage time (day shifts and early swings) to OJT their people. Rumor from within maintenance people is that they are now doing the OJT in the field rather than pay per-diem and air fair to send them to school for this training. Why can't they do this at night on the mid shifts as this is when we do our maintenance that isn't absolutely necessary from a failure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated he had talked to an FAA maintenance technician and the technician said the navaids were being disabled and then a trnee technician was given OJT on how to fix it. Reporter stated he brought this to his supervisor attention and the practice stopped for about 2 weeks. The reporter filed this report because the practice has started again. Reporter was advised that a ucr or a call to the administrators hot line might result in action to correct the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHUTDOWN OF NAV AIDS TO OJT FAA TECHNICIANS.

Narrative: LAST MONTH (AUGUST) I WAS WORKING THE BZN AREA HERE AT ZLC. THE BZN VORTAC WAS SCHEDULED OUT EVERY DAY DURING THE DAY SHIFT AND EARLY SWING FOR MAINT. WHEN I ASKED MY SUPVR WHAT WAS GOING ON, HE SAID THEY HAD ASKED FOR IT FOR MAINT. ON MY NEXT BREAK, I WENT TO THE MAINT PEOPLE AND ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY SAID THAT ONE OF THEIR TECHNICIANS LIVED IN BOZMAN AND WAS DOING HIS OJT USING THE VOR. WHEN BZN IS OUT, THERE ARE NO USABLE APCHS, OR DEP PROCS AT BOZMAN, MT. ALL ARWYS ARE UNUSABLE AND THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTE ARWYS. SINCE THIS TIME, I KNOW THEY HAVE TAKEN A MAJOR NAVAID (BIL), WHICH CREATES A LOT OF EXTRA WORK FOR THE CTLRS DURING THE RUSHES. TODAY THEY HAVE TAKEN THE SHR ILS FOR THE SAME REASON. MY QUESTION IS WHY IS MAINT BEING ALLOWED TO TAKE OUR NAVAIDS OUT DURING PRIME USAGE TIME (DAY SHIFTS AND EARLY SWINGS) TO OJT THEIR PEOPLE. RUMOR FROM WITHIN MAINT PEOPLE IS THAT THEY ARE NOW DOING THE OJT IN THE FIELD RATHER THAN PAY PER-DIEM AND AIR FAIR TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL FOR THIS TRNING. WHY CAN'T THEY DO THIS AT NIGHT ON THE MID SHIFTS AS THIS IS WHEN WE DO OUR MAINT THAT ISN'T ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FROM A FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED HE HAD TALKED TO AN FAA MAINT TECHNICIAN AND THE TECHNICIAN SAID THE NAVAIDS WERE BEING DISABLED AND THEN A TRNEE TECHNICIAN WAS GIVEN OJT ON HOW TO FIX IT. RPTR STATED HE BROUGHT THIS TO HIS SUPVR ATTN AND THE PRACTICE STOPPED FOR ABOUT 2 WKS. THE RPTR FILED THIS RPT BECAUSE THE PRACTICE HAS STARTED AGAIN. RPTR WAS ADVISED THAT A UCR OR A CALL TO THE ADMINISTRATORS HOT LINE MIGHT RESULT IN ACTION TO CORRECT THE SITUATION.

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.