Communication failure at ARTCC creates unsafe condition.

Attributes
ACN	172405
Time
Date	199102
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bfl
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	172405
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Lax ARTCC area-a experienced massive communications equipment failure. The entire area was involve din light-moderate precipitation (occasionally heavy), moderate turbulence, occasional icing. The main and standby transmitter/receiver were OTS and sectors were operating on buec radios. Several land-lines were also OTS. Outages seem to occur in this area whenever precipitation is present. With 7 aircraft on frequency (all on vectors climbing and descending), the buec failed. Aircraft were aimed at each other and I was unable to communicate for several mins. This situation is very dangerous and unacceptable!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COM FAILURE AT ARTCC CREATES UNSAFE CONDITION.

Narrative: LAX ARTCC AREA-A EXPERIENCED MASSIVE COMS EQUIP FAILURE. THE ENTIRE AREA WAS INVOLVE DIN LIGHT-MODERATE PRECIPITATION (OCCASIONALLY HEAVY), MODERATE TURB, OCCASIONAL ICING. THE MAIN AND STANDBY XMITTER/RECEIVER WERE OTS AND SECTORS WERE OPERATING ON BUEC RADIOS. SEVERAL LAND-LINES WERE ALSO OTS. OUTAGES SEEM TO OCCUR IN THIS AREA WHENEVER PRECIPITATION IS PRESENT. WITH 7 ACFT ON FREQ (ALL ON VECTORS CLBING AND DSNDING), THE BUEC FAILED. ACFT WERE AIMED AT EACH OTHER AND I WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE FOR SEVERAL MINS. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE!

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.