Narrative:

At XX47Z on sep/mon/96, ZLA sector 19 controllers were working numerous aircraft that were deviating around WX, which consisted of thunderstorms, that extended from the hector area, to apple valley, to just north of big bear. Aircraft described the WX as building in nature and reports indicated the storms grew from FL280 to FL350 in just under 15 mins. These storms were clearly visible on the satellite pictures, but they were not being displayed by the ARTCC radar on controller's pvds. Since there were gaps that aircraft were able to fly around in these storms and given the size of the area affected, it is not likely the radar was being attenuated by the precipitation. WX was being displayed in the palm springs area without problem. Since the tops were reported at FL350 several of the ARTCC radar sites should have been able to pick up these cells and display them on the pvd. Since the ARSR-4 has been installed at jli, controllers have experienced many days of false WX displayed on the pvds. This has been reported many times since the ARSR-4 was commissioned and was also reported as a problem during testing of this new radar. As of this date a correction to this problem has not been produced and the facility does not know when we will receive one. Air traffic controllers are now faced with the problem of unreliability in a WX display system they are required to use. They cannot expect the radar to accurately display WX when WX exists and they can expect to have false WX displayed when none exists at all. This is unacceptable in an air traffic system and does not allow controllers to conform to the requirements of FAA order 7110.65J 2-6-4. If the WX radar displays are going to continue to function in this manner they will need to be notamed OTS. Additionally controllers should receive waivers on the 7110.65 requirements concerning WX radar. The best solution would be to fix the system that should have been correctly and properly functioning when it was initially certified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THERE IS A PROB WITH THE NEW ARSR-4 RADAR DISPLAYING FALSE AND UNRELIABLE WX INFO.

Narrative: AT XX47Z ON SEP/MON/96, ZLA SECTOR 19 CTLRS WERE WORKING NUMEROUS ACFT THAT WERE DEVIATING AROUND WX, WHICH CONSISTED OF TSTMS, THAT EXTENDED FROM THE HECTOR AREA, TO APPLE VALLEY, TO JUST N OF BIG BEAR. ACFT DESCRIBED THE WX AS BUILDING IN NATURE AND RPTS INDICATED THE STORMS GREW FROM FL280 TO FL350 IN JUST UNDER 15 MINS. THESE STORMS WERE CLRLY VISIBLE ON THE SATELLITE PICTURES, BUT THEY WERE NOT BEING DISPLAYED BY THE ARTCC RADAR ON CTLR'S PVDS. SINCE THERE WERE GAPS THAT ACFT WERE ABLE TO FLY AROUND IN THESE STORMS AND GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE AREA AFFECTED, IT IS NOT LIKELY THE RADAR WAS BEING ATTENUATED BY THE PRECIPITATION. WX WAS BEING DISPLAYED IN THE PALM SPRINGS AREA WITHOUT PROB. SINCE THE TOPS WERE RPTED AT FL350 SEVERAL OF THE ARTCC RADAR SITES SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PICK UP THESE CELLS AND DISPLAY THEM ON THE PVD. SINCE THE ARSR-4 HAS BEEN INSTALLED AT JLI, CTLRS HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY DAYS OF FALSE WX DISPLAYED ON THE PVDS. THIS HAS BEEN RPTED MANY TIMES SINCE THE ARSR-4 WAS COMMISSIONED AND WAS ALSO RPTED AS A PROB DURING TESTING OF THIS NEW RADAR. AS OF THIS DATE A CORRECTION TO THIS PROB HAS NOT BEEN PRODUCED AND THE FACILITY DOES NOT KNOW WHEN WE WILL RECEIVE ONE. AIR TFC CTLRS ARE NOW FACED WITH THE PROB OF UNRELIABILITY IN A WX DISPLAY SYS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO USE. THEY CANNOT EXPECT THE RADAR TO ACCURATELY DISPLAY WX WHEN WX EXISTS AND THEY CAN EXPECT TO HAVE FALSE WX DISPLAYED WHEN NONE EXISTS AT ALL. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN AN AIR TFC SYS AND DOES NOT ALLOW CTLRS TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAA ORDER 7110.65J 2-6-4. IF THE WX RADAR DISPLAYS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FUNCTION IN THIS MANNER THEY WILL NEED TO BE NOTAMED OTS. ADDITIONALLY CTLRS SHOULD RECEIVE WAIVERS ON THE 7110.65 REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING WX RADAR. THE BEST SOLUTION WOULD BE TO FIX THE SYS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTLY AND PROPERLY FUNCTIONING WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY CERTIFIED.

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.