Narrative:

Our coasting problems with our radar is to the point where a hazardous condition exists. We have bad coasting problems throughout our airspace, but some areas are much worse then others. When O'hare is landing on parallel 27's, the situation is dangerous! Attached is a list of aircraft within a 20 min time frame. These aircraft all went into coasting status at different times and phases of the approach. With some of these, we lost the 'ARTS tag' secondary and primary targets! It was like a black hole. You just had to guess when to turn the aircraft for the intercept! Sooner or later disaster is going to strike! This list includes only arrs and only as many as I could write. There were more. This list includes aircraft call sign, type aircraft, zulu time of coasting and approximately how many sweeps the aircraft was in coast. It also includes at what phase of the approach the aircraft was on. (D) -- downwind, (B) -- base, (F) -- final.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR EQUIP PROBLEM RADAR TRACKING PROBLEM COASTING NON DETECTION OF ACFT BY TRACON RADAR.

Narrative: OUR COASTING PROBLEMS WITH OUR RADAR IS TO THE POINT WHERE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION EXISTS. WE HAVE BAD COASTING PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT OUR AIRSPACE, BUT SOME AREAS ARE MUCH WORSE THEN OTHERS. WHEN O'HARE IS LNDG ON PARALLEL 27'S, THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS! ATTACHED IS A LIST OF ACFT WITHIN A 20 MIN TIME FRAME. THESE ACFT ALL WENT INTO COASTING STATUS AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND PHASES OF THE APCH. WITH SOME OF THESE, WE LOST THE 'ARTS TAG' SECONDARY AND PRIMARY TARGETS! IT WAS LIKE A BLACK HOLE. YOU JUST HAD TO GUESS WHEN TO TURN THE ACFT FOR THE INTERCEPT! SOONER OR LATER DISASTER IS GOING TO STRIKE! THIS LIST INCLUDES ONLY ARRS AND ONLY AS MANY AS I COULD WRITE. THERE WERE MORE. THIS LIST INCLUDES ACFT CALL SIGN, TYPE ACFT, ZULU TIME OF COASTING AND APPROX HOW MANY SWEEPS THE ACFT WAS IN COAST. IT ALSO INCLUDES AT WHAT PHASE OF THE APCH THE ACFT WAS ON. (D) -- DOWNWIND, (B) -- BASE, (F) -- FINAL.

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.