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ARTS IIIA computer failed causing some undue delays to departure aircraft. Adjacent ARTCC and tracons had workload increased until computer was fixed. FAA eliminating the automation specialist position.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 340550 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mia |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : phx |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 12 controller radar : 7 |
| ASRS Report | 340550 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
The ARTS IIIA computer malfunctioned. This means that all radar targets identify tags dropped off the scope, along with their airspeed and altitude. Due to the exemplary efforts of mia air traffic controllers, no major problems occurred. Several planes awaiting departure were held on the ground until the problem was fixed. This resulted in several departure delays. Airborne aircraft to mia TRACON's airspace were held in the air, causing an increased workload on adjacent radar facilities and arrival delays. The FAA is eliminating our automation specialists (we only have 2 now, and they fix the ARTS computer). I don't know what will happen when they are gone.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTS IIIA COMPUTER FAILED CAUSING SOME UNDUE DELAYS TO DEP ACFT. ADJACENT ARTCC AND TRACONS HAD WORKLOAD INCREASED UNTIL COMPUTER WAS FIXED. FAA ELIMINATING THE AUTOMATION SPECIALIST POS.
Narrative: THE ARTS IIIA COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONED. THIS MEANS THAT ALL RADAR TARGETS IDENT TAGS DROPPED OFF THE SCOPE, ALONG WITH THEIR AIRSPD AND ALT. DUE TO THE EXEMPLARY EFFORTS OF MIA AIR TFC CTLRS, NO MAJOR PROBS OCCURRED. SEVERAL PLANES AWAITING DEP WERE HELD ON THE GND UNTIL THE PROB WAS FIXED. THIS RESULTED IN SEVERAL DEP DELAYS. AIRBORNE ACFT TO MIA TRACON'S AIRSPACE WERE HELD IN THE AIR, CAUSING AN INCREASED WORKLOAD ON ADJACENT RADAR FACILITIES AND ARR DELAYS. THE FAA IS ELIMINATING OUR AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS (WE ONLY HAVE 2 NOW, AND THEY FIX THE ARTS COMPUTER). I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY ARE GONE.
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.