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North feeder position at bay TRACON had a scope failure. Approach controller had adjacent position expand and offset his scope and the reporter was able to keep his traffic flow going without interruption. Biggest problem encountered was lack of access to land lines for coordination had to use the direct access (dial) lines for coordination with ZOA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 352220 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199610 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : oak tower : mco |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Caravan 1 208A |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : private |
| Experience | controller military : 4 controller radar : 10 flight time total : 80 |
| ASRS Report | 352220 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
While working the 'north feeder' sector at bay TRACON, my radar scope went dead without warning. I walked over to the next sector and told the controller that I needed to 'expand' his scope to see my traffic, which was not being displayed on his screen. His scope was then rearranged to accommodate our needs, and then I was forced to 'slew-up' the 4 targets that I was currently controling. These 4 targets were in the process of being 'handed-off' to different sectors and took a few seconds to reorientate myself and the aircraft concerned. The frequency that I needed was present, but not working at this new sector, the center sector direct access lines were not available, and there were no handsets available to use the indirect access lines to ZOA. If I had been required to use land lines to any other facility, I would have had to return to the non working radar sector, diverting my attention from the traffic, and pass along any coordination while not watching the radar screen. This has happened 2-3 times this week and is an accident waiting to happen. A 'safe' transition during our evening 'push' would be questionable.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: N FEEDER POS AT BAY TRACON HAD A SCOPE FAILURE. APCH CTLR HAD ADJACENT POS EXPAND AND OFFSET HIS SCOPE AND THE RPTR WAS ABLE TO KEEP HIS TFC FLOW GOING WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. BIGGEST PROB ENCOUNTERED WAS LACK OF ACCESS TO LAND LINES FOR COORD HAD TO USE THE DIRECT ACCESS (DIAL) LINES FOR COORD WITH ZOA.
Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE 'N FEEDER' SECTOR AT BAY TRACON, MY RADAR SCOPE WENT DEAD WITHOUT WARNING. I WALKED OVER TO THE NEXT SECTOR AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I NEEDED TO 'EXPAND' HIS SCOPE TO SEE MY TFC, WHICH WAS NOT BEING DISPLAYED ON HIS SCREEN. HIS SCOPE WAS THEN REARRANGED TO ACCOMMODATE OUR NEEDS, AND THEN I WAS FORCED TO 'SLEW-UP' THE 4 TARGETS THAT I WAS CURRENTLY CTLING. THESE 4 TARGETS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING 'HANDED-OFF' TO DIFFERENT SECTORS AND TOOK A FEW SECONDS TO REORIENTATE MYSELF AND THE ACFT CONCERNED. THE FREQ THAT I NEEDED WAS PRESENT, BUT NOT WORKING AT THIS NEW SECTOR, THE CTR SECTOR DIRECT ACCESS LINES WERE NOT AVAILABLE, AND THERE WERE NO HANDSETS AVAILABLE TO USE THE INDIRECT ACCESS LINES TO ZOA. IF I HAD BEEN REQUIRED TO USE LAND LINES TO ANY OTHER FACILITY, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO RETURN TO THE NON WORKING RADAR SECTOR, DIVERTING MY ATTN FROM THE TFC, AND PASS ALONG ANY COORD WHILE NOT WATCHING THE RADAR SCREEN. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2-3 TIMES THIS WK AND IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. A 'SAFE' TRANSITION DURING OUR EVENING 'PUSH' WOULD BE QUESTIONABLE.
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.