Narrative:

Slc had a heavy arrival rush and I had 4 aircraft and several more in handoff status. The ASR-9 at slc stopped working. It took many mins to get cenrap operating and when it started it was unusable because we had duplicate beacons, the sweep wasn't working, and the map was shifting up to 10 mi. Supplemental information from acn 306302: during the busiest arrival bank of the evening, the ASR-9 radar failed. Numerous aircraft had to be returned to the center for holding and the aircraft too close in to the airport had to be reissued altitudes and headings to ensure vertical separation and terrain separation until cenrap was operational. The cenrap maps were also unreliable at this time, offsetting up to 3-4 mi at a time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the ASR-9 would fail then the cenrap would not come up. This was due to the emergency generator. Ucr was filed. FAA maintenance was investigating the problem. TRACON procedures officer stated the problem was ongoing. The standby power emergency generator had a fuel filter problem which caused a loss of power to the radar and burned up the generator. A temporary generator was brought in but would not cut in unless the commercial power failed. Facility is now turning on the generator but not changing to standby generator. This seems to have temporarily solved problem. Cenrap is available but takes about 5 mins to bring up. This would also scatter if both power sources were on line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR ASR-9.

Narrative: SLC HAD A HVY ARR RUSH AND I HAD 4 ACFT AND SEVERAL MORE IN HDOF STATUS. THE ASR-9 AT SLC STOPPED WORKING. IT TOOK MANY MINS TO GET CENRAP OPERATING AND WHEN IT STARTED IT WAS UNUSABLE BECAUSE WE HAD DUPLICATE BEACONS, THE SWEEP WASN'T WORKING, AND THE MAP WAS SHIFTING UP TO 10 MI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 306302: DURING THE BUSIEST ARR BANK OF THE EVENING, THE ASR-9 RADAR FAILED. NUMEROUS ACFT HAD TO BE RETURNED TO THE CTR FOR HOLDING AND THE ACFT TOO CLOSE IN TO THE ARPT HAD TO BE REISSUED ALTS AND HDGS TO ENSURE VERT SEPARATION AND TERRAIN SEPARATION UNTIL CENRAP WAS OPERATIONAL. THE CENRAP MAPS WERE ALSO UNRELIABLE AT THIS TIME, OFFSETTING UP TO 3-4 MI AT A TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ASR-9 WOULD FAIL THEN THE CENRAP WOULD NOT COME UP. THIS WAS DUE TO THE EMER GENERATOR. UCR WAS FILED. FAA MAINT WAS INVESTIGATING THE PROB. TRACON PROCS OFFICER STATED THE PROB WAS ONGOING. THE STANDBY PWR EMER GENERATOR HAD A FUEL FILTER PROB WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF PWR TO THE RADAR AND BURNED UP THE GENERATOR. A TEMPORARY GENERATOR WAS BROUGHT IN BUT WOULD NOT CUT IN UNLESS THE COMMERCIAL PWR FAILED. FACILITY IS NOW TURNING ON THE GENERATOR BUT NOT CHANGING TO STANDBY GENERATOR. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE TEMPORARILY SOLVED PROB. CENRAP IS AVAILABLE BUT TAKES ABOUT 5 MINS TO BRING UP. THIS WOULD ALSO SCATTER IF BOTH PWR SOURCES WERE ON LINE.

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.