Narrative:

ASR-9 radar loss. Departures were canceled because of radar loss. Radar was out for approximately 25 mins. Reason for outage is unknown to me. Overall delays to aircraft on the ground unknown past 20 mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: analyst unable to contact rptrs, but did make contact with a facility and an airways facility person. The supervisor confirmed that the facility does not have an uninterruptable power supply (ups) system for the radar site, but does for the TRACON building. Supervisor also stated that he believed that a ucr may have been filed because of the outages. The airways facility person stated that ups system are sometimes installed at radar sites, especially when commercial power interruptions are a problem. He cited orlando as a facility that has one. Neither person knew of any problems with the engine generator as a backup. Supplemental information from acn 340446: at approximately XX00 the newly commissioned ASR-9 at tpa suffered a power hit. Since the radar doesn't have an uninterruptable power source, we lost radar for a period of time. Several acrs and other aircraft were delayed departing tpa. Delaying departures is, to say the least, a major irritant, but my major concern is the dangerous sits that arise from losses of separation that occur any time that an unplanned transition from a radar to non radar environment occurs. There are 2 types of separation, radar and non radar, in the IFR approach control business. Some people will tell you that when the radar goes out there is no problem because we revert to non radar separation. The problem is that all of the airplanes you were separating by 3 mi, divergence and other radar techniques now need a whole bunch more separation non radar. They don't have it, so I believe that a loss of separation has occurred between most of the aircraft in our airspace during the outage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE TPA CTLR RPTS ALLEGE NUMEROUS COMMERCIAL PWR INTERRUPTIONS AT THE FACILITY'S ASR-9 RADAR SITE. RADAR OUTAGES HAVE CAUSED ARR AND DEP DELAYS AND TEMPORARILY RESTR CLASS B SVC. RPTRS CONTEND THAT A UPS SYS AT THE RADAR SITE WOULD INSURE RADAR CONTINUITY UNTIL THE BACKUP ENG GENERATOR COMES ONLINE.

Narrative: ASR-9 RADAR LOSS. DEPS WERE CANCELED BECAUSE OF RADAR LOSS. RADAR WAS OUT FOR APPROX 25 MINS. REASON FOR OUTAGE IS UNKNOWN TO ME. OVERALL DELAYS TO ACFT ON THE GND UNKNOWN PAST 20 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST UNABLE TO CONTACT RPTRS, BUT DID MAKE CONTACT WITH A FACILITY AND AN AIRWAYS FACILITY PERSON. THE SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT THE FACILITY DOES NOT HAVE AN UNINTERRUPTABLE PWR SUPPLY (UPS) SYS FOR THE RADAR SITE, BUT DOES FOR THE TRACON BUILDING. SUPVR ALSO STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT A UCR MAY HAVE BEEN FILED BECAUSE OF THE OUTAGES. THE AIRWAYS FACILITY PERSON STATED THAT UPS SYS ARE SOMETIMES INSTALLED AT RADAR SITES, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMMERCIAL PWR INTERRUPTIONS ARE A PROB. HE CITED ORLANDO AS A FACILITY THAT HAS ONE. NEITHER PERSON KNEW OF ANY PROBS WITH THE ENG GENERATOR AS A BACKUP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 340446: AT APPROX XX00 THE NEWLY COMMISSIONED ASR-9 AT TPA SUFFERED A PWR HIT. SINCE THE RADAR DOESN'T HAVE AN UNINTERRUPTABLE PWR SOURCE, WE LOST RADAR FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. SEVERAL ACRS AND OTHER ACFT WERE DELAYED DEPARTING TPA. DELAYING DEPS IS, TO SAY THE LEAST, A MAJOR IRRITANT, BUT MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THE DANGEROUS SITS THAT ARISE FROM LOSSES OF SEPARATION THAT OCCUR ANY TIME THAT AN UNPLANNED TRANSITION FROM A RADAR TO NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT OCCURS. THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF SEPARATION, RADAR AND NON RADAR, IN THE IFR APCH CTL BUSINESS. SOME PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN THE RADAR GOES OUT THERE IS NO PROB BECAUSE WE REVERT TO NON RADAR SEPARATION. THE PROB IS THAT ALL OF THE AIRPLANES YOU WERE SEPARATING BY 3 MI, DIVERGENCE AND OTHER RADAR TECHNIQUES NOW NEED A WHOLE BUNCH MORE SEPARATION NON RADAR. THEY DON'T HAVE IT, SO I BELIEVE THAT A LOSS OF SEPARATION HAS OCCURRED BTWN MOST OF THE ACFT IN OUR AIRSPACE DURING THE OUTAGE.

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.