Narrative:

Complete radar failure at about XY30L. ZAU assumed control of azo delegated airspace at and above 5000 ft. Cenrap unavailable, ideally, ZAU should have assumed control of all of azo airspace, in view of azo's unpreparedness for non radar operations. There was no chart available or prepared for non radar operations. On oct/sat/96, I asked the shift supervisor for a suitable chart for non radar operations. He said that he didn't know where it was. When asked what was being used, the specialist indicated the d-brite display was being used. Note: the d-brite, along with the remainder of the radar system was OTS and uncertified for ATC. I made a search for a chart to use, prior to assuming control of the non radar airspace. The best I found was an obsolete controller chart, printed prior to airway restructuring. The supervisor was not aware of which specialists were qualified to perform non radar operations. The supervisor continued to allow specialists to make use of the d-brite display, despite its display of erroneous data and OTS status. During the evening of oct/fri/96, zan flow control issued a ground stop for azo. How to improve: enact provisions procedures in ZAU/azo LOA concerning azo lost radar contingencies. To have ZAU assume control of all of azo delegated airspace, so as to alleviate or reduce delays, the use of holding pattern airspace. Ensure that all specialists expected to perform non radar operations are capable qualified. Ensure that all tools required for non radar operations are available, such as a current controller chart depicting sector boundaries and holding-pattern airspace. Uniformly ensure that FAA supervisors at azo are made aware of agency directives and liability issues arising from ATC usage of equipment deemed OTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR SAID THAT WHEN THE TRACON RADAR WENT OTS THE CENRAP WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND NON RADAR PROC HAD TO BE USED BELOW 5000 FT BECAUSE ZAU WOULDN'T TAKE ALL THE AIRSPACE. RPTR ALSO ALLEGES NO NON RADAR PROC AVAILABLE NOR WERE THERE ANY CURRENT CHARTS.

Narrative: COMPLETE RADAR FAILURE AT ABOUT XY30L. ZAU ASSUMED CTL OF AZO DELEGATED AIRSPACE AT AND ABOVE 5000 FT. CENRAP UNAVAILABLE, IDEALLY, ZAU SHOULD HAVE ASSUMED CTL OF ALL OF AZO AIRSPACE, IN VIEW OF AZO'S UNPREPAREDNESS FOR NON RADAR OPS. THERE WAS NO CHART AVAILABLE OR PREPARED FOR NON RADAR OPS. ON OCT/SAT/96, I ASKED THE SHIFT SUPVR FOR A SUITABLE CHART FOR NON RADAR OPS. HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS. WHEN ASKED WHAT WAS BEING USED, THE SPECIALIST INDICATED THE D-BRITE DISPLAY WAS BEING USED. NOTE: THE D-BRITE, ALONG WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE RADAR SYS WAS OTS AND UNCERTIFIED FOR ATC. I MADE A SEARCH FOR A CHART TO USE, PRIOR TO ASSUMING CTL OF THE NON RADAR AIRSPACE. THE BEST I FOUND WAS AN OBSOLETE CTLR CHART, PRINTED PRIOR TO AIRWAY RESTRUCTURING. THE SUPVR WAS NOT AWARE OF WHICH SPECIALISTS WERE QUALIFIED TO PERFORM NON RADAR OPS. THE SUPVR CONTINUED TO ALLOW SPECIALISTS TO MAKE USE OF THE D-BRITE DISPLAY, DESPITE ITS DISPLAY OF ERRONEOUS DATA AND OTS STATUS. DURING THE EVENING OF OCT/FRI/96, ZAN FLOW CTL ISSUED A GND STOP FOR AZO. HOW TO IMPROVE: ENACT PROVISIONS PROCS IN ZAU/AZO LOA CONCERNING AZO LOST RADAR CONTINGENCIES. TO HAVE ZAU ASSUME CTL OF ALL OF AZO DELEGATED AIRSPACE, SO AS TO ALLEVIATE OR REDUCE DELAYS, THE USE OF HOLDING PATTERN AIRSPACE. ENSURE THAT ALL SPECIALISTS EXPECTED TO PERFORM NON RADAR OPS ARE CAPABLE QUALIFIED. ENSURE THAT ALL TOOLS REQUIRED FOR NON RADAR OPS ARE AVAILABLE, SUCH AS A CURRENT CTLR CHART DEPICTING SECTOR BOUNDARIES AND HOLDING-PATTERN AIRSPACE. UNIFORMLY ENSURE THAT FAA SUPVRS AT AZO ARE MADE AWARE OF AGENCY DIRECTIVES AND LIABILITY ISSUES ARISING FROM ATC USAGE OF EQUIP DEEMED OTS.

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.