ATC radar equipment problem radar. Radar failed 3 nights in a row requiring center to go to darc.

Attributes
ACN	235998
Time
Date	199303
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny
State Reference	NY
Environment
Light	Dusk
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	235998
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Radar outages and computer interface problems 3 nights in a row. Always during the evening busy sessions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the host computer in the center failed and required darc usage. Only limited data blocks were displayed. All radar handoffs were given manually which increased ARTCC interfacility coordination. Reporter believes the problem was that the computer reached system capacity. The computer is now giving false conflict alerts and minimum altitude warnings. FAA management says it is a computer glitch.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RADAR EQUIP PROB RADAR. RADAR FAILED 3 NIGHTS IN A ROW REQUIRING CTR TO GO TO DARC.

Narrative: RADAR OUTAGES AND COMPUTER INTERFACE PROBS 3 NIGHTS IN A ROW. ALWAYS DURING THE EVENING BUSY SESSIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE HOST COMPUTER IN THE CTR FAILED AND REQUIRED DARC USAGE. ONLY LIMITED DATA BLOCKS WERE DISPLAYED. ALL RADAR HDOFS WERE GIVEN MANUALLY WHICH INCREASED ARTCC INTERFAC COORD. RPTR BELIEVES THE PROB WAS THAT THE COMPUTER REACHED SYS CAPACITY. THE COMPUTER IS NOW GIVING FALSE CONFLICT ALERTS AND MINIMUM ALT WARNINGS. FAA MGMNT SAYS IT IS A COMPUTER GLITCH.

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.