Narrative:

At approximately xx:xx local military aircraft using the waive departure out of mcconnell were contacting center on 363.2. Normally these aircraft can be talked to just north of iab. During this period however, center could hear military but military could not hear center until north of waive which is abnormal. During the period which followed before noon it was discovered both the main and standby transmitters had failed for paired frequencys 134.9 and 363.2. At the time this was found out there was one aircraft descending to 3200' looking for salina airport for approach and another aircraft which was heading for an active restr area after having ben given a vector for traffic. The sector had trouble engaging the buec (back up emergency communications) as the selector kept cycling through all the possible sites it had to choose. Luckily the aircraft inbound to salina called the tower and cancelled its IFR flight plan before entering the control zone. The aircraft headed towards the restr area was contacted on buec before it entered the restr area. These were both imminent situations which would not have occurred had the frequencys and back up frequencys worked as promised. Numerous requests of sectors 66 were made to check the main and standby frequencys during periods of moderate to moderately heavy traffic. This only increased controller workload and decreased safety. At approximately Y:Y local the paired manhattan frequencys 127.35 and 388.8 also failed. The buec for these frequencys was as hard to obtain as the one for the sln frequencys. Buec is also only partially as good as the main and standby transmitter receivers when it comes to clarity and distance when talking to aircraft. These frequency problems easily doubled the complexity of the sector and the fact that the problems were not solved for six hours in my opinion is inexcusable. Also added fuel to the fire was the way the supervisors hounded the controllers to keep checking the frequencys they promised us were fixed but were not. There has to be a way to get the FAA better equipment but if not surely there is a better way to repair it when it does break down. No replacement frequencys were offered to the sector when it was known that there was at least one VHF available, 135.9. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter experience: 10 yrs radar, 2 yrs non-radar. The reporter stated an unsatisfactory condition report had been filed. He has not received an answer as yet. Reporter was counseled to read the ucr order and follow-up with his first line supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIPMENT PROBLEM FREQ FAILURE. BUAC FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX:XX LCL MIL ACFT USING THE WAIVE DEP OUT OF MCCONNELL WERE CONTACTING CTR ON 363.2. NORMALLY THESE ACFT CAN BE TALKED TO JUST N OF IAB. DURING THIS PERIOD HOWEVER, CTR COULD HEAR MIL BUT MIL COULD NOT HEAR CTR UNTIL N OF WAIVE WHICH IS ABNORMAL. DURING THE PERIOD WHICH FOLLOWED BEFORE NOON IT WAS DISCOVERED BOTH THE MAIN AND STANDBY XMITTERS HAD FAILED FOR PAIRED FREQS 134.9 AND 363.2. AT THE TIME THIS WAS FOUND OUT THERE WAS ONE ACFT DSNDING TO 3200' LOOKING FOR SALINA ARPT FOR APCH AND ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WAS HDG FOR AN ACTIVE RESTR AREA AFTER HAVING BEN GIVEN A VECTOR FOR TFC. THE SECTOR HAD TROUBLE ENGAGING THE BUEC (BACK UP EMER COMS) AS THE SELECTOR KEPT CYCLING THROUGH ALL THE POSSIBLE SITES IT HAD TO CHOOSE. LUCKILY THE ACFT INBND TO SALINA CALLED THE TWR AND CANCELLED ITS IFR FLT PLAN BEFORE ENTERING THE CTL ZONE. THE ACFT HEADED TOWARDS THE RESTR AREA WAS CONTACTED ON BUEC BEFORE IT ENTERED THE RESTR AREA. THESE WERE BOTH IMMINENT SITUATIONS WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD THE FREQS AND BACK UP FREQS WORKED AS PROMISED. NUMEROUS REQUESTS OF SECTORS 66 WERE MADE TO CHK THE MAIN AND STANDBY FREQS DURING PERIODS OF MODERATE TO MODERATELY HVY TFC. THIS ONLY INCREASED CTLR WORKLOAD AND DECREASED SAFETY. AT APPROX Y:Y LCL THE PAIRED MANHATTAN FREQS 127.35 AND 388.8 ALSO FAILED. THE BUEC FOR THESE FREQS WAS AS HARD TO OBTAIN AS THE ONE FOR THE SLN FREQS. BUEC IS ALSO ONLY PARTIALLY AS GOOD AS THE MAIN AND STANDBY XMITTER RECEIVERS WHEN IT COMES TO CLARITY AND DISTANCE WHEN TALKING TO ACFT. THESE FREQ PROBS EASILY DOUBLED THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SECTOR AND THE FACT THAT THE PROBS WERE NOT SOLVED FOR SIX HRS IN MY OPINION IS INEXCUSABLE. ALSO ADDED FUEL TO THE FIRE WAS THE WAY THE SUPVRS HOUNDED THE CTLRS TO KEEP CHKING THE FREQS THEY PROMISED US WERE FIXED BUT WERE NOT. THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO GET THE FAA BETTER EQUIP BUT IF NOT SURELY THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO REPAIR IT WHEN IT DOES BREAK DOWN. NO REPLACEMENT FREQS WERE OFFERED TO THE SECTOR WHEN IT WAS KNOWN THAT THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE VHF AVAILABLE, 135.9. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EXPERIENCE: 10 YRS RADAR, 2 YRS NON-RADAR. THE RPTR STATED AN UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION RPT HAD BEEN FILED. HE HAS NOT RECEIVED AN ANSWER AS YET. RPTR WAS COUNSELED TO READ THE UCR ORDER AND FOLLOW-UP WITH HIS FIRST LINE SUPVR.

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.