Narrative:

The FAA on apr/xx/96 commissioned the tmb ARSR-4 long range radar (lrr). The system is so far advanced compared to the existing radars in the FAA inventory that it can produce over 800 bits of WX information on a radar scan. The current NAS/host computer system cannot handle this amount of WX and therefore WX data can be lost without warning and without any predetermined warning. The loss was reported by the independent test team for this project and a fix was attempted and limited success was achieved. Now there appears to be an acceptable amount of WX loss that would be acceptable to the FAA air traffic management team. This is a truly unsafe procedure as controllers looking at their radar scopes do not know when, where or how much data will be lost and aircraft will deviate around areas of WX with the controller expecting the aircraft to go straight and a possible error or midair will occur. A suggested fix would be to go from the present 3 scans of low then 3 scans of medium then 3 scans of high WX to the 2 low/2 med/2 high scans of WX data should in my opinion resolve this issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he is on a committee with an FAA team evaluating the new system. This system is to be installed at 20 additional ARTCC locations around the country this yr and overall 43 total facilities by project's end. His concern is the equipment is not compatible with the NAS host computer and display driver. Allegedly, the system cannot process all of the WX data through the host system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE NEW ARSR-4 LONG RANGE RADAR IS SO ADVANCED THAT IT PRODUCES MORE DATA THAN THE OLDER HOST EQUIP CAN PROCESS, THEREFORE A WX DATA LOSS OCCURS. THE NEW EQUIP IS TO BE INSTALLED AT 20 ADDITIONAL SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY BY THE END OF 1996 AND OVERALL AT 43 LOCATIONS BY PROJECT'S END.

Narrative: THE FAA ON APR/XX/96 COMMISSIONED THE TMB ARSR-4 LONG RANGE RADAR (LRR). THE SYS IS SO FAR ADVANCED COMPARED TO THE EXISTING RADARS IN THE FAA INVENTORY THAT IT CAN PRODUCE OVER 800 BITS OF WX INFO ON A RADAR SCAN. THE CURRENT NAS/HOST COMPUTER SYS CANNOT HANDLE THIS AMOUNT OF WX AND THEREFORE WX DATA CAN BE LOST WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT ANY PREDETERMINED WARNING. THE LOSS WAS RPTED BY THE INDEPENDENT TEST TEAM FOR THIS PROJECT AND A FIX WAS ATTEMPTED AND LIMITED SUCCESS WAS ACHIEVED. NOW THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF WX LOSS THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE FAA AIR TFC MGMNT TEAM. THIS IS A TRULY UNSAFE PROC AS CTLRS LOOKING AT THEIR RADAR SCOPES DO NOT KNOW WHEN, WHERE OR HOW MUCH DATA WILL BE LOST AND ACFT WILL DEVIATE AROUND AREAS OF WX WITH THE CTLR EXPECTING THE ACFT TO GO STRAIGHT AND A POSSIBLE ERROR OR MIDAIR WILL OCCUR. A SUGGESTED FIX WOULD BE TO GO FROM THE PRESENT 3 SCANS OF LOW THEN 3 SCANS OF MEDIUM THEN 3 SCANS OF HIGH WX TO THE 2 LOW/2 MED/2 HIGH SCANS OF WX DATA SHOULD IN MY OPINION RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE IS ON A COMMITTEE WITH AN FAA TEAM EVALUATING THE NEW SYS. THIS SYS IS TO BE INSTALLED AT 20 ADDITIONAL ARTCC LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY THIS YR AND OVERALL 43 TOTAL FACILITIES BY PROJECT'S END. HIS CONCERN IS THE EQUIP IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE NAS HOST COMPUTER AND DISPLAY DRIVER. ALLEGEDLY, THE SYS CANNOT PROCESS ALL OF THE WX DATA THROUGH THE HOST SYS.

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.